Corset Queen
by lightmylumiere
Summary: Everyone's a liar... but who's the corset queen? can i get a review please?
1. Infinite Prologue

Chapter One: The Past 19 Years (Infinite Prologue)

It was all too vivid in the children's minds. Perhaps they were children no longer, but their memories cut them like glass. And though it felt like their story was over, there was no way to call an end to their sad realities.

They watched as they mindlessly destroyed the past 7 years of their life. Stone by stone, plank by plank: the buildings collapsed to the ground. Standing in the rubble, the memories flickered with images of tattoos, dragons, Butterbeer and flashes of green light.

"The school's in Ruins, I suppose." Ron muttered; his arm around Hermione's waist. "No more Hogwarts." As he spoke, she rested her head on his shoulder. Harry had his back to them, his hair blowing in the wind. He had just thrown the crushed wand over the broken bridge, and was probably a little more upset than he let on. "Harry?" Running from Ron as he called his best friend's name, Hermione swallowed Harry in a giant hug.

"Harry," she whispered in his ear, smiling, circling around his back. "He's gone. You have nothing to fear anymore." He turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, as she pulled him in again to a hug, kissing him softly on the cheek.

"Hermione, Ron." Harry said, Ron walking to his girlfriend. Hermione met him on the other side of Harry. "You two are the best friends I could ever ask for." He smiled, for the first time in a long time. "You guys helped me destroy the man ruining my life. And, Hermione, if it weren't for you we probably wouldn't be alive right now." Ron nodded in agreement as she blushed. "And to think we would have never met each other if it weren't for this school. It sculpted us into who we are today."

"And now it's gone." Hermione added diligently, her arms folded across her chest. "But how can we change it?"

"Rebuild the school, I guess." Neville said, limping toward his friends, using Luna and Ginny as human crutches. Neville was in terrible condition, his entire face scratched up and bloody, his leg severely mangled. "Harry, I never thought I'd see you again. Alive, at least." He whimpered a little as he inched toward Harry, who patted him on the back, making him nearly fall down.

"That is, when all the wounds are healed." Luna said, sounding more serious than her usual airy self. The bruise under her eye was starting to fade. "Perhaps we could have it finished by Christmas." A smile grew on her face, and spread to the others like a contagious disease.

"It sounds like a good plan, but let's be practical. Do you know how much that would cost? A whole lot more than we have in our pockets." Hermione grumbled.

"I have gold." Harry said. "At Gringotts. Heaps of it."

Ginny stepped forward. "And, with Mrs. Lestrange dead and gone, mummy killed her Ron, there's plenty of gold with nobody to inherit it."

Ron smiled at his little sister as she kissed Harry on the cheek, as Hermione had done only minutes before. "Well, hell Ginny, if we're going by dead people we could have half of what's in Gringotts."

"Ron does have a point." Hermione added. "But this is enough foolish chatter for now isn't it? Let's focus on getting everyone better." She smiled as she walked to Neville, and she ran her hand along his cheek. He winced. "Now, Neville, as soon as we get back to the Burrows we are going to take care of your face. And your leg. Come along, we have a whole lot of business to take care of."

…

Back at the Burrows, Teddy Lupin was laying down on the kitchen counter, wailing. Molly ran back and forth from the blue haired baby, trying to manage her other business at the same time. When all of the children came in, she sighed with relief. "Well nice to see all of your smiling faces again."

Harry looked at the little boy, then to Molly. "So I take it that's Teddy?"

Molly smiled, picking up Teddy and walking over to Harry and the others. "Teddy Lupin, yes. Andromeda brought him here a few short days before she and her husband, too, were slaughtered. Poor thing lost his mum and dad and grandparents, no real family."

"Don't tell me he has no real family. Andromeda was a Black." Hermione said, smart as usual. "When we stayed with Sirius a few years back, we saw the family tree painted on the wall. She had two brothers and two sisters, those I at least know. Sirius is dead, so is his brother, I forgot his name… Regulus, that's it! And Bellatrix Lestrange, congrats on her death, do believe that's in order Mrs. Weasley. But that leaves Narcissa Malfoy, doesn't it?"

Molly bit her lip. "Well, yes. I suppose that does leave the Malfoys as family." She passed the baby to Ginny, who then handed him to Harry and followed her mom to the kitchen counter. Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville sank into the couch. "But there is a flaw in your research. Andromeda was disowned by the family. So he's left to me, and I'm going to watch him for now. No way around that, is there?"

"Why couldn't Fleur and Bill raise him?" Ron asked. "Don't they both want kids anyways?"

Molly nodded. "They are expecting their first child." Everyone looked kind of surprised. Harry smiled, looking at the baby, seeing Remus' eyes on the boy's face. The baby giggled. "He takes a liking to you, Harry."

"He should." Ron muttered. "Harry is his godfather."

Ginny spoke up next. "Mummy, me and Harry will watch him while we're here."

"You're leaving soon?" Molly asked anxiously.

"We will be staying in the Black house. We are going to rebuild Hogwarts once everyone's in better condition." Harry piped. "Come to think of it, we could take Teddy with us. I mean, there are so many rooms in the Black house, and plenty of us, and only one you… it's the simple solution."

"All of you and a baby? Harry, you're 17. And Ginny's a year younger. 6 teenagers and a baby in a big house working on a cockamamie building project? It doesn't sound smart." Molly said, officially concerned.

"Mummy you have to trust us." Ginny coaxed. "You raised 7 amazing children to have great morals and now you just have to trust us to do the right thing." Molly looked to the ground bitterly, but Ginny put her hand on her mother's shoulder. "Besides, don't you want to be able to take care of your first grandchild instead of worrying about someone else's baby?"

Molly looked hesitantly at her daughter, then to Harry and Teddy. "Alright, Ginny, but just until Fleur's baby is born. Then you're sending the little boy back to me." She looked at her smiling daughter suspiciously. "Wait, won't a baby get in the way of your building project?"

Luna looked up and over toward Mrs. Weasley. "Don't you worry, Mrs. Weasley, I thought it all out." The others turned in interest. "Since we will most likely be working based on a 6-day workweek, each of us will have one day a week alone with Teddy, then one day with all 6 of us. That leaves a 5-day workweek per person, in order to keep us from going fully insane."

Molly smiled very solemnly, looking at the mature boys and girls. She remembered them as being so much smaller. "All right, fine. But it's temporary." They started to stand up and reach for their coats, making their way to the door. "Wait, you're leaving already? You've only been here a few minutes."

"Don't be concerned, we will probably be back in a few days. We just have to get the Black house and clean up a bit, and go to Gringotts—" Ron said.

"AND free Kreacher." Luna and Hermione added in unison.

"And that." Ron hissed. He noticed the tears that slid down his mother's cheeks and wiped them away, nearly starting to cry himself. "There's nothing left now, nothing to be afraid of. We will be fine." He kissed her on one cheek. "And we will be back." He kissed her other cheek and walked out with the others, the smile disappearing off his face as he left.

…

Christmas came quickly. The new building was constructed by July, refurbished by August. Yet as the bricks grew together so did the bonds…

They all gathered back at the Burrows for the annual Christmas party. Neville and Luna, Mr. Lovegood as well, tagged along. Each brought a dish, and for some, a surprise.

The guests smiled and sipped from their chalices, Harry fixing his glasses upon his face. "Alright, everyone, I do believe that Neville and Luna have an announcement to make…"

Luna stood up, Neville on her arm. She was in a lavender sweater dress, her polished curly blonde hair hitting her waist in a sleek ponytail. He was in a white collared shirt and black slacks, the same exact thing he seemed to always wear, looking as gorgeous as ever. "Okay, so we have two pieces of good news: one, Neville and I are getting married!" The hoopla rose. "And Hogwarts reopened for another great year!" The clamor grew from the naturally excitable faces.

Fleur smiled, her hand pressed to her swollen abdomen. Bill stood by her, but then asked abruptly. "When is Teddy coming?"

Neville looked at Fleur, then to Bill. The smile painted on his face fell. "Actually, that was the other thing me and Luna addressed." Everyone looked at him with intent. "Luna and I would like to adopt Teddy. Though we'll still be in the Black house because of mine and Luna's teaching jobs…"

Luna smiled at her fiancé. "Headmistress McGonagall invited us for two teaching jobs: his in Potions, mine in Defense. They changed the name of the course for fear of controversy."

"So everyone has a career now, don't they?" Molly asked.

"Harry's pretty famous, but I wouldn't call it a career." Ron said with a snicker. "Hermione's going to be an author I suppose, since she's writing the new Muggle Studies—"

"Muggle Relations." She hissed. "Ron, we've been over this." Her glare thickened.

"I guess the Ministry is in both mine and Harry's future." Ron said smiling. "Who knows, you could be looking at the next Minister of Magic." He stood valiantly, as if talking about himself, then reluctantly pointed at Harry. "And Ginny's going back to school."

"That's our little scholar!" Arthur Weasley said, hugging his daughter. Then, he and his wife looked back to their younger son, looking displeased. "So everyone has something good going for them except you two."

Ron looked at his father with a distasteful smirk, then added with a hint of zeal. "Oh, come on dad, me and Harry are both insanely well known. I'll never have to lift a finger again." He snapped his fingers at Hermione, then put his arm around her neck. Not amused by his drunken act, she looked both disturbed and surprisingly flattered. "Okay, love, go and get me and Potter something to drink and make it quick." He said with relish. "I don't like to be left waiting, bitch." And with that, she shrugged his arm away, rolling her fingers into a fist. Half-tempted to aim it at his cheek, she refrained, looking at the ginger with lust and a hint of deceit.

"Awfully cocky for a man who sees a mouse in the mirror." Hermione said, standing up to him as she had so many times before. But this time, it was different. She felt jaded, like she was lying to herself about who she was. But as the gasps rose, she felt empowered.

"Terribly loud for a woman—" He said, not remembering the res of his thought, but based on the shocked expression look on his lover's face, he felt a surprising amount of excitement.

"Sexist now, are we?" Hermione asked inquisitively. "Not bad fro a measly sidekick." She whipped out her wand feeling a duel coming on. Yet as he reluctantly pulled his own from beside his belt buckle, his hazel-chocolate eyes widened with fear. They raised them at one another, creating a bridge between the two, Harry stood under it and tried to stop them. To no avail. It wasn't until their eyes met that they realized the relationship they were about to blow up.

"How lyric, Hermione Granger." Ron muttered with surprise. "But being a sidekick is better than being the damsel in distress."

"Damsel?" She asked with a hiss. "Everyone loves a heroine."

"Heroin…" Neville added quietly. "All it does is get you high," Hoping she hadn't heard him, he turned to look at her. But gazing into her eyes, he saw something intoxicating, something addicting. "Fits!"

"I was saving you from all kinds of creatures from day 1—" She interjected, ignoring the fact that Neville just compared her to a drug.

"Except that night troll in the Gryffindor house from first year, remember Harry?" Ron said. Harry shook his head. "Oh come on, how could you forget the night troll? Bushy light brown hair, thick eyebrows, beady brown eyes, had Hermione's voi—" She sent him a thick glare, and he just let out a moan of "Oh."

"I'm not a night troll, I was _just _a little girl! And, Neville, if you compare me to a drug I _will _kill you." He gave her a stiff salute, and Ron gave a curt nod and smile.

The rest sipped from their cups, saying nothing.

…

5 years pass.

The months passed with tears of joy and pain. The now 6-year-old Teddy lived with his left-at-the-altar adoptive mother, Luna Lovegood. The only one of the clan left to die lonely and unhappy, her son was the only reason she kept living, but as he grew closer to Fleur's daughter, she felt he was losing him as well.

She was, however, invited to three weddings the year Neville left her, when Teddy was 3. Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, as well as her past love and Hannah, the wealthy owner and a barmaiden at the Leaky Cauldron (and her current boss.).

Though she hoped to never see him or his trampy wife ever again, she knew there would be a day when Teddy grew up and would go to Hogwarts, and when Neville saw her he would beg for forgiveness. She wanted to hear him say "I never stopped loving you" in a rainstorm or while he was filing his divorce papers. She hoped that Teddy would be a Gryffindor, the final piece to the puzzle of their relationship. And she longed to watch him suffer, to utter a final "I told you so", but It would pain her too much to state her envy aloud.

But it wasn't until a dinner with none other than the Potters and the Weasleys that she felt the most emotion she had in three years…

Harry wrapped his arm around his pregnant wife's waist, eyeing his lonely friend Luna skeptically. Ron said close between his wife and his little sister, across from the woman he hadn't seen in well over two years. "So, Luna, how are you and Teddy doing?" Harry asked smiling, looking at the grave look on her face, wiping the pleasure out of his mind.

"Better than I was last time I saw you, Harry. And the two of you seem pretty well off yourself." She smiled. "Boy or girl, Ginny?"

"It's a boy." Ginny smiled and looked to Luna.

"Speaking of boys, where is Teddy?" Hermione asked, looking around the small tearoom.

"Across the street, playing with Victoire. Y'know, I am so glad they spend so much time together. Since he's been under my wing, I've had no time for myself. Thank god for Fleur, if it weren't for her that boy wouldn't be alive. Not that I don't love him or anything, but it was hard being a single teen mom." Tears welled in her eyes. She knew her story was a sad one. But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't cry. "You don't understand why all of this upsets me do you?" They all shook their heads, sympathetically and confused. "This was supposed to be MY life!

"Neville and I were supposed to get married and be happy. We had a little boy, not our own of course, but we were raising him as such. I was supposed to have his first child, and he was supposed to love me as much as you happy couples love each other!" Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then back to their poor friend. "But now I'm working all hours of the night, raising our adoptive son by day.

"Do you know the looks I get on the street, like I'm an outcast… like I'm different." Hermione rolled her eyes at Luna's comments, knowing how odd and eclectic she was. "And my son, my boy, he asks me about why his father left. He knows we promised his late parents to watch over him, but he, poor thing, is convinced he's the reason that Neville left me, though he was the only thing keeping us together. Them my boss fired me for mine and Neville's 'differences', though it isn't my fault he and his blasted wife had an affair the night before our wedding, nor that I caught him while looking for my veil.

"It hurts really bad, Harry Potter." She sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Nobody understands me, except you four." She stopped crying very quickly, as if all of her anger, angst, and anguish had disappeared, and all was well in the world. "We have a cycle, Harry. We're born, we marry, we multiply and we die. Now I ask you all to leave, I have to pick up Teddy and it would be best if you guys weren't here… I will see you all soon." She shooed them out the door.

"You will be at the baby shower, won't you?" Ginny asked. "Me and my friend of ours' are having a double shower."

"Sure, who's your friend?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom." At those words, Luna clicked the door closed, leaned into the frame as she fell to the ground and cried for hours on end.

…

And this leads us to 2 families on opposite of the busy train station: two diverse ginger trains headed for the third column past platform 9, the other etching past platform 11 toward the column that the other family had already walked through.

Riding on the cart was Lilly Luna Potter, the youngest Potter at the age of 9 (though her mother was expecting another baby), pushed by none other than 14-year-old James Sirius Potter. Behind him were Ginny and Harry, his parents, and his obnoxious little 11-year-old brother, Albus Severus Potter. His sons, as though perfect replicas of himself, reminded him of his Hogwarts experience, though he still felt himself as a school boy.

Rose Weasley skipped through the railway, her loving father Ron carrying her trunk. Hugo held his mother's hand, walking as she vaguely remembered doing as a younger person. Ron kept cracking jokes about the Gryffindor house, acting as though he not only graduated but was a student just a year before.

Ginny's phone rang. "Harry, wait up will you? It's work, I have to take this." Harry shrugged.

"Someone always needs a lawyer, don't they?" James added sarcastically. His owl chortled, I suppose an owl can chortle, as the cart screeched to a halt. "In the Muggle world, at least." He smiled at his father. "Good thing no one ever needs a newscaster."

Lilly giggled as she hopped off the cart. But as she walked to her father, she turned a little more serious. "Oh come on James, don't pick on daddy. He's like a superhero: normal by day, but exciting by night."

"That's what I say, too." Ginny added with a smile, walking past the children and then to her husband. "It was a Muggle murder and a kidnapping, 11th this month. Suspicious, don't you think?" She tucked her phone back into her pants pocket. "I told them I couldn't help today because I had to see our little Albie off to school." Albus turned red with embarrassment. James threw a playful punch at his brother's shoulder.

"Hey look there's Teddy!" James squealed. "You know, we haven't seen his mother since he moved in with Vict—" He eyed them suspiciously from a distance. "Is he _snogging _her?"

"Wouldn't that be great? If they got married, Teddy would really be family!" Lilly said, then added in an off-key sing-songy voice "I hear wedding bells!"

Pretty soon, the Weasley clan came into vision. Rose, in her new black Hogwarts robes (Al got his brother's hand-me-down robes), ran up to hug her cousins as if she hadn't seen them in forever. Lilly ran up and attacked Hugo with a flurry of air kisses. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny joined in a group hug, watching the rambunctious children. Hermione hugged Harry again, brushing her lips along his cheek, leaving a slight stain on his cheek from her taupe lipstick.

"Do you like my robes?" Rose asked Albus, who was already in his robes. "Sorry we're late, daddy got pulled by a Muggle cop, so I changed as soon as I got here."

"Since we left the Black house, Ron has only had trouble with two things" Hermione started, "Driving and… everything else." Harry chuckled.

"The Muggle world isn't good enough for the two of us." Ron said, embracing his wife, pecking her right on the lips. But as they drew more into the moment, they grew more *ahem ahem* close.

Teddy ran up behind the two lovebirds, silently, his hair turning green from it's original blue state. Victoire walked around, behind the children, her blonde bangs draping over her eyebrows, the rest in a French braid. Teddy jokingly hissed "Get a room" into Ron's and Hermione's faces. Everyone laughed as they turned pale.

"Uncle 'arry! Aunt Ginny! James an' Al an' Lilly! I can't believe it! You 'ave all grown so much!" Victoire said in her adorable French-British accent that everyone had grown to love. "An' I see Teddy 'as made 'imself pretty well noticed to—aunt 'ermione! Uncle Ron! 'n' zat must be Rosie and 'ugo!"

Hugo shrugged, knowing that he had seen her very recently for her to not remember him or his sister. "Where are your parents, missy?" Hermione asked her niece.

"In France, celebrating their anniversary. 'ey will prob'ly be back in a few weeks."

"How long have they been gone, Dolly?" Ron added, sounding concerned.

"3 mon's. but zey'll be back soon."

"And they left the two of you in the house, alone, Victoire?" Ginny asked, extremely concerned and confused.

"Yes ma'am, we're responsible young adults."

"Wait you two never had—" Harry was cut off.

"Alright, children, zat's the train whisle, we had best be going au revoir!"

"Harry, you know they are." Hermione said as the children boarded the train.

"I know they are, and I don't like It one bit."

Luna walked past them, but turned in suspicion when she saw them. "Harry? Ron?"

"Luna?" Harry asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Dropping my children off."

"Children? You only have a son, Teddy, and he just boarded with Victoire."

"Only a son, eh? Oh right, Teddy. Teddy's my only child, right… I wanted to seem him off safely, yes, I guess that's buyable. Goodbye boys!" she ran away skittishly.

And they all left more confused then when they got there.


	2. Welcome

Chapter Two: Welcome

"Headmistress McGonagall left last year, nitwit." James said to his little brother and cousin. "It's Headmaster Longbottom now, the old Potions teacher."

"Mummy's old friend?" Rose asked, her large caramel eyes glowing with curiosity.

"Same one."

"Doesn't he have twins my age? Mummy and daddy spoke of them."

"Had. It's a mystery what happened to them. Some say he killed them with a potion, others say he left 'em in a train station and never came back. He insists they were kidnapped. I don't know who to believe." James said, seeing the fear in Rose's and Albus' faces. "Now get your trunks, we'll be to the boats soon."

…

The boats sat at the dock. There was a shadow lurking in one of the boats, Hagrid soon recognized to be Neville. The gray-bearded giant sat on the dock, pressing his large hand to Neville's back. "Hagrid, I'm scared." Neville said, sounding just as he had when he was 11. "I know I shouldn't be, but I am. Taking over a fine school, hiring new teachers—"

"And Hannah." Hagrid added, knowing his real concern.

"Especially Hannah. I mean, think of it: she's all alone, expect a baby, having the 6 before it ripped from her bare hands. Oh, the agony she must be in! 4 of our previous kids are Hogwarts-age, and I'm working with them with a terrible record on kids. And I don't even know if mine are alive! Help me, Hagrid, please!" He sobbed, still like a child, treating Hagrid a father.

"Enough lamentin' boy, listen up." He said gruffly. "As staff at Hogwarts you _will _lose your most precious things, trust me, boy, I should know. I've lost my dragon, my dogs, Buckbeak, my house, my brother and my lover to an unknown man…" He added bitterly, tears in his eyes, but lost in his beard. "If all you lose are some kids, you're luck. Dumbledore lost everything, and Severus Snape never had anything, except—"

"Except what?"

"A passion, I do believe, but I think he lost that too. And McGonagall, all she lost was youth. Over time, you'll find, Longbottom, you lose everything. I've been here forty years, almost, and I've learned that a little too well."

"What haven't you lost?"

Hagrid whipped a picture out of his trenchcoat pocket. The picture was clearly of 6 people: 3 girls and 3 boys. The ginger girl was sandwiched between the freckly-faced ginger boy and the brunette boy with the scar on his face. To the right of the gingers was a bushy haired brunette girl with a red-and-yellow scarf, a dark-haired boy who resembled Neville, and a blonde girl with a vacant look in her eyes and a lion atop her head. "Them."

"Us? Why us?"

"You my boy, and the other 5: they remin' me o' what I achieved in life. 'arry an' Ginny have 3 kids: 2 sons at Hogwarts, a lil girl here in 2 years. He's a newscaster and she's a lawyer in the Muggle world. Hermione an' Ron have a daughter an' a son, she's a Hogwarts Muggle Relations teacher, he's a car insurance salesman… okay, so maybe he's not so successful. And Luna… poor dear, lost her adoptive son to his lover, and fell of the face of the earth. But look at you: you're headmaster, aren't you happy?"

"I guess I am." And with that, Neville rowed his way back to the castle.

…

The students gathered at the tables, looking anxiously toward the teacher table, then to the podium. At the ivory table were twelve ebony chairs, delicately carved into them was a unicorn and a Hippogriff face to face, the sign of the Deathly Hallows between the two creatures. At the furthest chair to the right was Headmaster Neville Longbottom: his dark hair choppy and cut short, his short mustache showing off his matching colored eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a gray vest, black dress pants, navy loafers with silver buttons and his old Gryffindor tie. Next to him was none other than Cho Chang, the new Potions teacher. She had on a gray-green satin dress and black flats, her raven hair barely tapping her shoulders. Next to her was her ginger fiancé, none other than the one-eared George Weasley. In his surprisingly nerdy maroon-and-white "G" sweater and blue jeans, Cho couldn't take her eyes off of the Transfiguration teacher. Next to them were Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, not speaking to each other since their controversial divorce 15 years ago. She had on a rich plum off-the-shoulder dress, attached to her body by her late sister's corset and matching boots, her long gray-blonde hair up out of her face. Lucius, however, wore an obnoxiously white suit and matching leather shoes, his blond hair dripping down his back like wet paint. Hermione was beside the man who tried to kill her a few times, waving to her anxious daughter. She pulled her crisp black blazer back over the ruffly coral blouse and a black skirt. To her other side was Trelawney, looking as wacky as she ever had. And the other 5 seats were empty.

Hagrid walked into the room and sat next to Trelawney, 4 students behind him. The first one to sit was Teddy: his Ravenclaw blue hair matching his tie and blazer, with black pants and shirt and shoes. Next was his leading lady Victoire, her electric blonde hair curled and clipped back with a red rosette, despite the controversial mix of Gryffindor and her house (Hufflepuff) colors. In a Slytherin scarf and black dress was an odd woman with curly blonde hair dripping down her back and Kelly green eyes, a red pout written on her lips. As she threw down her nameplate, it was read clear as day. Bellatrix Malfoy. She smiled at her mother and father Her mother Narcissa waving back but father turning away. Behind her was a little-looking boy by the name of James Tyler Carter. He had on a Gryffindor Tie to go with the patch on his red collared shirt, his raven pants tight to his legs, his hair short and slick like brown grass after a rainstorm.

Neville tapped the microphone and the conversations went silent. "Welcome, you guys, to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, are you excited?" Nobody spoke, yet he still tried to be the 'cool' headmaster, remembering how boring and droll his predecessors' were. "Alright, do you know that you're standing where a very very bad man died? I take it you all know his name?" He heard a couple aimless mutters from the students. "That's right, VOLDEMORT." Bella stood up and raised her fist, then reluctantly sat down as Neville turned around. "You're all already pretty smart.

"This year you'll learn a whole lot more than you figured you would. I suppose I should introduce your teachers now, shouldn't I?" Rose nodded violently at Neville's words. "Let's start with me, I'm Neville Longbottom, your headmaster. Call me as you wish, but I prefer Neville, if you will. I intend on being like your friend.

"Up first is Miss Cho Chang and she will be your Potions teacher this year." She stood up and curtsied, a smile on her lips. "She's teaching a great class, the one I taught for the past almost 20 years. Next to her is George Weasley, your Transfiguration teacher." He smiled and when he turned his head, a few people gasped at the absence of his ear. "Don't let his ear freak you out, lost it in a battle during the Dark Times. Very valiant, those are.

"Lucius Malfoy'll be teaching you about the use of your wand and Defense. But don't you worry because he was one of Voldemort's—" Bella cringed again. "followers in the Dark Times. We've reformed him enough that he's safe to work with." Lucius nodded with a grimace, upset that he was being referred to as if an animal. "And next to him is Narcissa Malfoy, who will be teaching you Dark Times history. Since this IS a new class this year, no matter what your age you will ALL be taking it together.

"Trelawney will be teaching whatever you call it that she has been teaching since I was a little boy, Hagrid will be teaching you about magical creatures and—" Neville looked across the table, stopping at the thick glare once named Hermione Granger. "How could I forget? Mrs. Hermione Weasley is here this year as her 15th year teaching Muggle Relations. In this course, you will learn the similarities between Muggles and wizards.

"Now to explain these next four people up here. When I was a boy, we had adults running our houses. However, since the age of the school now goes from 11 to 21, to match up with the local universities, we now have anyone from the last four years of their education lead. There is one for each of the houses. Teddy Lupin, yeah that's him with the blue hair—" His hair turned scarlet with fury. "Red hair, sorry, he is the head of Ravenclaw house. Nearly as brave as his parents, died in the Dark Times.

"Beside 'im is the lovely Victoire Weasley. Her mother went to Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic in France, her father was a Gryffindor… and she is the Hufflepuff head of house. Bright girl, she is, don't let that blonde hair fool you. She'll lead you very far if you follow her as a Badger, if that's the path you're on…

"Next to her, that's Bellatrix Malfoy. Don't let the name fool you, she's a sweet girl." She flipped his back the bird briskly, gaining a chuckle from people in her audience. "We call her Bella, just to make everyone know she's not a crazy murderous wretch…" Narcissa stood offended, then sank back down. "That's Bella's mother, Slytherin also. She will be your head Slytherin, your mentor and leader, alongside her mother when needed. Bella is the youngest house head, 17 years old. She will be like your best friend.

"And lastly, that's JT, James Tyler Carter, head of the noble Gryffindor house. 21 this year, eldest of the house heads. Noble as Harry James Potter himself—" The clamor rose. James and Albus hung their heads, already tired of hearing their father's name this school year. "Sorry, sorry, not gunna talk about him with his sons around—whoops.

"I'm sure you are all starving aren't you?" The noises died down then rose again, hushed. "Well then let's eat, shall we? We have chicken and beef and lamb and pork and duck and goose—salads in bright shads of green, as many fruits as known to man—water of course, and our infamous Yule Punch. And, for dessert, we can let you nosh on ganache—try to say that three times fast, eh? Enjoy your dinner." Neville concluded, flashing the food onto the table.

…

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for—sorting." Neville pulled the Sorting Hat off of it's stand. "There are 20 new young wizards and witches starting to make their names here today. So let's start so that you can get situated into your houses early, alright?"

"Nathan Carter!" The hat shouted from above Nathan's full head of brown hair. "You are a fine young man, a good wizard from your persona. You want to be a good man, and there's only one place for that… Gryffindor!

"Christian Church." Some of the children giggled as the pasty boy with dark blonde hair sat down, a cross hung around his neck. "A well-churched man, with two pastor parents, doesn't usually make a good wizard, yet here you are. Probably not the best of your time, but you have charisma… Ravenclaw!

"Antony Fith! I don't even have to guess with you: another Ravenclaw!" The fat readhead smiled, his copper buzzcut gleaming like a new penny. "Rasia Foor, please make your way up here." The chocolate girl pushed her hair off her shoulders, her pouty crimson lips muttering 'please don't hurt me' to the hat. "You're weak and quiet, too good to admit that you have two Muggle serial killer parents. But there's something dark about you, something bad… Slytherin!

"Horace Harmony!" An ugly little boy sat under the hat, looking more like a house elf and a goblin had kids than a human. His squat face was counterbalanced by an abnormally long nose. "Your looks have made you the subject of a whole lot of mockery, making you a very bitter remorseful little boy. And Slytherin house is the only one that excepts the bitter—Slytherin!

"Lanie James!" An airy blonde walked forward and, if Neville didn't know any better, he would say it was Luna. "You have a heart of gold, the heart of a badger… Hufflepuff!

"Henry Jenson!" An oriental-looking boy stepped forward, his shaggy mahogany hair like fringe over his eyes. "You have heart, indeed, much like your teen parents." Henry blushed, knowing that his mother was 15 when he was born at Hogwarts. "And you are accustomed to the Ravenclaw common room, because of your parents, so it's no surprise—Ravenclaw!

"Drake Johannson!" the dark skinned boy's chocolate eyes gleamed from behind his glasses, his fluffy black afro standing about an inch off his scalp. "Drake, you are a brilliant young man with a lot of energy… Ravenclaw!

"Sydney Jones, I can tell it from here: Hufflepuff!" The blonde smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Elaine Lovegood!" Neville turned his head at the sound of his first love's last name. he expected a blonde girl with tight ringlets, but instead he saw his hair on Luna's face… "Talent, limitless talent. Yet no desire to follow your father's footsteps—" Neville gulped. "Hufflepuff!

"Lumley Lovegood!" Neville smiled, quite fond of the name Lumley. It brought him back fond memories of a drunken evening in the Lumley Avenue Hotel in Sydney, Australia, twelve years prior with Luna… he let out a groan as a smile made it's way onto the little blonde's face. "You're a curious one, no more than your mother, though. Talent, abundance of it, no more than your twin I'm afraid. Lesser than your line, but you have a desire to belong and for a real family, and there's only one place for that: Gryffindor!

"Scorpius Malfoy, don't you even stand up, Slytherin!" Lucius let out a sigh of relief and Bella gave a cackle. Scorpius slid his fingers up his shiny blonde Mohawk. "Gemini Miles:" a perky brunette bounced up and skipped up to the hat. "You are wise, eager to please and really good. You're soul is as beautiful as you, which can only mean—Gryffindor!

"Avery Morgan—Ravenclaw!" The hat wailed, Teddy looking at the purple haired boy with glee. One of his kind, he thought to himself. That's something you don't see everyday. "Damien Mythe: Gryffindor!

"Johanna Perri!" The hat called out. Up jumped a girl, looking more 15 than 11. She had light brown hair, wrapped into a loose ponytail. Her eyes glowed a shade of lilac-blue, the kind of color that reminded Albus of the flowers in his mother's garden. Her lips were dark pink, the same color as her dress. She had on long lace fingerless gloves and black combat boots, dog tags around her neck. "You're a real rule breaker, aren't you Miss Perri? You have your own style, and guidelines, and you don't take no for an answer. Headstrong and imaginative, your issues lie in the darkness. Slytherin!

"Albus Potter?" Albus gulped, as if hearing his name for the first time. His heart belonged to the Gryffindor house, yes, but he wanted to break the rules, be a trendsetter like Johanna Perri. Yet as he sat under the hat, he watched the mysterious girl disappear through the ivory double doors. "Albus Severus Potter, you were born to be invinsible. You seem to be a Gryffindor, but there's something in you that could make you dangerous… Slytherin!

"Marina Weasley: Hufflepuff!" Victoire leapt from the table to hug her younger sister, looking to Bella at her despicable cousin shook the evil woman's hand with disgust. "Rose Weasley." She stood up, gave a smirk as her cousin traded his dignity for a green tie. "Rose Weasley, you have your mother's mindset and your father's mind. That does leave you very few places to land, but sticking you with familiarity is apparently a problem with your family: HUFFLEPUFF!" Hermione gasped, thrusting her hand toward her daughter who was walking away. Victoire walked behind her aunt and put her hand on the teacher's shoulder.

"It's alright, she'll be fine in my 'ouse."

"And Al?"

"Al's in Bella's 'ands now. She's trustworthy, it's 'er mother you 'ave to look out for. Twisted woman, zat is."

"What will we tell Harry and Ginny?"

"Vat will we tell zem? Vill we tell zem?" Victoire added suspiciously to her aunt. "Do believe zat's Al's job."

"But couldn't we warn them? It will be a shock, I mean, at Christmastime."

"It's up to 'im. Besides, unless you 'ave something to tell Ron 'e'll be ze only one wiz a secret." Victoire added, hoping that her aunt would 'come clean' about what put pain into her eyes. But instead she gave a stiff nod as she collected her books, leaving without another word.


	3. Conversations with a Corset

Chapter Three: Conversations with a Corset

Narcissa stood in her chambers in her whit nightgown draping over her knees, the sleeves pushed up to right above her elbows. On her bed was the corset that belonged to her late sister. It was very obvious to see the ebony leather on her lilac bedspread.

Next to her maple bed was a set of dressers from the same wood. Atop them were random knickknacks and memories: a dried rose from her final dinner with Lucius before their divorce, a suspicious looking gold vase containing Bellatrix's ashes, a picture frame containing a picture of Draco and Scorpius' mother and Scorpius, and one containing a picture of herself and Lucius and 2-year-old Bella.

A voice came from the corset as a ghostly woman appeared on her bed. She recognized the woman as her tragic older sister. Narcissa smiled at the ghost, as if this was normal. "Another fine sorting, wasn't it Cissy?"

"Grand as always."

"Who's in my niece's house this year?" The ghost asked, pouting. She looked around the room, noticing something different. "Is this a new room?"

"Yes, since mine and Lucius' split…" Narcissa ran her bare hand over her own cheek.

"I heard, I heard… my condolences."

"You were there of course you heard! You were the freaking cause!"

"Yes, well… thank you for letting me tag along to just about everything. However, if it weren't for me, your life you probably suck. More than it does I mean."

"Thanks a whole bunch, I feel so much better." Narcissa barked, gruffly and sarcastically.

"Just doing my job of being your favorite older sister!" Bellatrix jumped off the bed and wrapped her invisible arms around her sister who felt nothing.

"What do you wish to know?"

"New Slytherins. I couldn't hear anything. Curse of being a corset, you should know."

"Curse of having your body obliterated, that's what it is. By a Weasley of all creatures!"

"Hey, you're the one who saved the Potter boy."

"For my son, my only child!"

"And now your son is married to a bloody Greengrass, and you have a pure daughter. And—that's about it."

"Changing subjects… there are 5 new Slytherins."

"Who are…?"

"Scorpius Malfoy, no shock there. Horace Harmony, a tortured ugly boy. He looks like Kreacher, remember the house elf? I heard he was released."

She looked out blankly from the corner of her eyes at her loud and easily excited sister. "Stick to the point, Cissy." Bellatrix hissed.

"Rasia Foor, Muggle-born, a curious girl who's supposedly 'very dark' dark in skin than personality, if you want my opinion. And Johanna Perri, filthy Mudblood if you ask me…"

"Ooh! Cissy's starting to get a tongue! Empowering, I like it."

"Johanna's dark as sin, like you when you were younger, right after you married Rod, that pretty." The ghost blushed. "And she's just 11! She'll be devastatingly gorgeous by the time she's Bella's age. Plus she's a rebel and an anarchist, like you. A child's nightmare but a man's dream, though she sometimes acts like a caffeinated two-year-old. And get read for this, Albus Potter!" The name ran off her tongue with glee.

"Potter, eh? In Slytherin?"

"Yes, plain as day."

"This makes revenge so much easier. Bring things back to the good old days. When we were in charge and nobody spoke of the Dark Lord's name in vain. When you and I were the leading ladies to the baddest men in town." Bellatrix said, not worried about her grammar. "No Potter in existence. Don't you want another morsel of something sweet and scandalous?"

"Of course, Bella, but—"

"But what?"

"You're dead."

"And that's where you come in."

"What?"

"I have a soul but no body. My corset is a Horcrux, I suppose I should call it as it is. What I need is the body of a girl. A dead girl." Narcissa placed her hand to her mouth. "Then you would cut the bottom three stitches of the corset, and let me seep into the girl. Easy enough, isn't it?"

"No it isn't!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Who do you want me to use?"

"You need to kill Bella."

"Bella… why?"

"She has authority, plus she trusts you. She wouldn't see it coming."

"Not my little girl! She's my life, I will not sacrifice her for a woman's soul trapped in a corset, even if you're my sister, Bella!"

"Fine, but remember this." Bellatrix muttered, disappearing back into the corset. "Only the good die young, Cissy."

And Narcissa hung her sister back up in her closet by her dress, ready to be worn the next day.

…

Albus sat squished between Horace and Scorpius, a whole new level of awkward conversations. Horace only wanted to talk about the food at the feast. Scorpius only wanted to talk about himself.

All Albus wanted was to talk to Johanna Perri.

Bella sat across from Albus, a malevolent smile piercing her ruby lips. Rasia was across from Horace, grimacing as she looked up at him from her Sudoku book. And Johanna was across from Scorpius, pretending to be entertained by the conversation. Al believed it.

Bella stood up. "Alright, I believe some introductions are in order. I'm Bella Malfoy, head of your house, Slytherin."

"I'm Horace Harmony, but most everyone calls me Ace, because calling me Hore sounds like something else." Bella nodded at 'Ace's' words.

"I'm Johanna Perri. And I don't like talking to strangers."

"I'm Rasia Foor, and I enjoy learning new things, like games and puzzles and activities." Ace smiled at Rasia, who rolled her eyes.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy, but Scorp'll do."

"I'm Albus, but you can call me Al. Al Potter."

"Potter?" Bella muttered sharply. "As in Harry Potter?" Al nodded. "You are in the wrong house, you belong with your _kind_."

"My kind?"

"Slytherin is a house for strong wizards, and your father wasn't one. Head onto Gryffindor like the little idiot you are, why don't you?"

"I'm sorry, what did my father ever do to you?"

"Showed his weakness to my family line. My father could manipulate Mr. Potter like a puppet. My brother could poke and pry at him up until today, and he could today if he tried. And my mother saved your father's ass twice, poor dear she always was the good one. My aunt could torture him with no trouble, and God only knows what my uncles and other aunt did to him."

"Saved his life, actually."

"Get. Out." Bella barked. "Get out, Mr. Potter."

"Why? Why should I? I have as much right to be here as any one of them."

"No, you don't. They don't talk to me with such sass." Bella remarked with disgust. "Now get the hell out of my house before I call on my mother to take you out of here."

"No need to call on your mum. I'll just go upstairs—"

"You should be afraid of my authority, Mr. Potter."

"And why is that, Miss Malfoy?"

"I could set you up for a house switch." Bella smiled, seeing the shocked look on Al's face. "Your daddy didn't warn you about that, did he?"

"Look Miss Malfoy, I don't see what you in particular have against my family. I mean I could understand Mr. or Mrs. Malfoy, or even Scorpius and his parents. But not you. You probably resent me because my brother stood you up on a date or something." He could tell that's what it was as her glare thickened. "See, you're already opening up to me. By the end of the evening we'll probably know more about each other than we want to.

"You're a cut-up, Al Potter. I won't tolerate you acting a-fool in my house, embarrassing the rest of us and most importantly me. This house is very sacred. Understand?" He nodded at the evil woman, who smiled at him. "Now everyone go upstairs and to your chambers. Mr. Potter, I will arrange for you to have your house switched by the end of the night, mark my words."


	4. Truthful Lies

Chapter 4: Truthful Lies

Victoire looked at the clock as the hands met up at 12. Yet here she was: the Hufflepuff bathroom, spewing her guts into the ivory toilet, as she had been doing most of the night.

She cleaned off her face and changed into her lilac shift, white lace around the scoop neck and fluffy sleeves. Stepping into her yellow slippers, she sat on her bed. In the mirror, she no longer saw herself. True, she had the same braided blonde hair. But her skin had more of a ghostly green cast to it, and looking down at her body, noticing a small swell above her waist…

It couldn't be.

But it was.

Thinking about that summer, it just felt so right that it was so wrong. Or maybe it was so wrong it felt right. Who know what it was and who cared? She did now, and so would her parents.

Teddy would eventually notice if she fell off the face of the earth for a little while. There was no way that she could hide it from him for forever. But she could try. Who said she wanted to try? All things would come clean at some point, and now was as good of a time as ever.

She walked out the door, making sure that the painting clicked shut behind her. She looked at the sleeping woman with the cat on her lap, the woman waking up startled. "Vicky? Is that you?" She said, Victoire nodding. "Running off at this time of night, going to see that boy in the Ravenclaw house again, aren't you? Nice boy, he is, don't worry. I won't tell." Victoire nodded, mouthing a quick 'thank you'.

"Oh, Victoire, there you are, Victoire!" Bella exclaimed. "Why are you out of your chambers at this time?"

"Why are you?"

"Looking for you, Miss Weasley of course!"

"Needed some fresh air, feeling quite sick, actually." Bella backed away. "Vat do you need at zis 'our?"

"To ask for a house switch."

"A 'ouse Switch? No no, far too early in the year. Wait a few mon's, zen we can talk." Bella gave a stiff nod to the woman on a mission.

Victoire walked up to the painting of the moss-colored woman in the witch's hat and black gown. She whispered "Diadem" and the painting opened to a narrow stone hallway. In the gray sitting room was a black leather couch in front of a blazing fireplace, seeming to call her name. Vaguely, she remembered two years back coming after the ball to the house of Ravenclaw where she and Teddy had their first kiss that never seemed to end.

She crept up the brick stairwell to a little tower-top room, Teddy's room. Painted a brilliant sky blue, she looked around the room she hadn't been in since the May before. She looked at the brown wooden bedframe, then to the Ravenclaw bedspread. Teddy was curled up under the thick comforter, his angelically white hair looking curly on his gray pillowcase.

Thrusting her hand at his shoulder, she looked at how peaceful he looked. Carefree and calm, like nothing could ever go wrong. Like the world was at rest, and, true, the rest of it was. Could she tell him? No, not tonight. Not aloud…

She fingered the brush in her hands, rubbing it gingerly along the blue tile in the bathroom. With each letter, she though of the look that would make it's way to Teddy's face when he went in to "Freshen up" in the morning, reading those shocking words written in pink lip gloss.

'You're going to be a father. Love, V.'

…

Teddy woke up, hearing one of the boys scream. Jumping up from his bed into his red robe, his hair orange from how startled he was, then ran down the stairs. Two of the boys were there, Avery and Henry, Henry by sloppy pink writing on the wall and Avery standing in one of the stalls. "Who's V?" Henry asked.

"'V' is my… I don't know what exactly she is, but she's important to me."

"She sounds like she's angry at you."

"She's not—I think… she's hospitable, a Hufflepuff, excellent future in magic…" Teddy's hair went purple from the thought of his lover. "Nicest woman I ever met in my entire life… where's Avery?"

"I think she died in the bathroom." Avery said, running out of the stall. Teddy rushed in, seeing Victoire lying there asleep in the bathroom floor. Teddy crouched over her and watched her eyes opened.

"Damn it, V." Teddy muttered, pulling Victoire up off the bathroom tiles. "Don't go writing messages like that on the bathroom wall, scared me half to death!"

"Zould 'ave, Teddy Lupin, even I'm scared!"

"Don't go trying to pull your silly house dares again, at least not in my house!"

"You zink I'm kidding?"

"Of course!" He chuckled. "I mean, you wouldn't have—" He saw the fear-filled tears drip down her cheek. "You weren't joking, were you?"

"No." she mouthed.

"Boys, head on down to breakfast, me and Miss Weasley will join you shortly." Teddy said, his hair gleaming raven like a new moon at midnight. "Are you sure? Have you told anyone?"

"Ozer zan you, no. An' I'm positive. I vouldn't 'ave told you ozerwise."

"How long?"

"I zink it's been 2 or 3 mon's, my best guess. Vat will we tell my parents?"

"Victoire, we have to tell them soon."

"'ow? By letter, no. It 'as to be at 'ristmas time."

"Then at least tell Aunt Hermione." Teddy whispered solemnly.

"I keep forgetting you are my cousin." Victoire muttered, her voice filled with tears. "Ze'll find out like ezeryone else."

"That's not fair, V, even you know it. We can only keep her in the dark for so long. She's your house Superior, your teacher, and the school nurse and—let's see—your aunt? Don't you want someone on your side?"

"Aren't you on my side?"

"I'm a little too shocked to choose a side right now." Teddy added with a sliver of a grouchy tone.

"But if you weren't, you would be on the same side as me an' your baby, vouldn't you?"

"Of course, V, of course!" Teddy whispered, trying to patronize her and console her at the same time. "Now now, do you want some waffles? I know you always liked those. With whipped cream and mulberries, I remember how much we ate of those when we were children. And you never have to worry about the house elves burning them like Luna did. At least your parents had a good kitchen elf, Luna thought it was inhumane…"

"Be nice to your mummy, T, she's the closest thing you have to a real family. I mean, she raised you after your parents—you know." He nodded bitterly. "Let's go before I say something stupid again."

_Too late, _he thought. He didn't say it as he followed her to the mess hall.


	5. The Fat Truth

Chapter Five: The Fat Truth

Hermione sat by Narcissa at breakfast, each holding their own depressions in their hearts, dilemmas and all. Hermione eyed the Hufflepuff table, looking down the twenty-person table, spotting only 19 of them. The only one she couldn't find was her oldest niece. Out of the corner of her eye, Narcissa saw Johanna dart for the door.

A white owl, Snowflake, dropped a letter off in front of her bowl of oatmeal. It was addressed, of course, to herself. But in a turn of events, it wasn't from her mother, but from her daughter-in-law, Astoria. "Dear Mrs. Malfoy, I know you were probably expecting a letter from your 91-year-old mother. However, I am terribly sorry to inform you that your mother has departed the earthly scene. She was buried this morning in the Malfoy Manor cemetery." Narcissa let out a horrified scream. "However, I will share the joy of your newborn granddaughter Ariana Christine Malfoy. Draco sends his love, as do I and Ariana. Please give Scorpius and Bella our love, and if it isn't too much to ask send Lucius our regards. Sincerely, Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy."

Snowflake also had a letter for Hermione. In one vanilla envelope was two small folded letters: one from Hugo, one from Ron. She picked up Hugo's letter, written sloppily in a sea blue crayon on white construction paper. "Mummy, I just wanted to hope you are having a good school year and say that I can't wait to here from you again, hopefully soon. Christmas is only three months away. Your favorite son, Hugo." Tears welled in her eyes.

Next she opened the fancy letter from Ron, written very clearly in a black ballpoint pen. "My darling Hermione, I am writing in order to let you know what you have missed over the past month. Bill and Fleur are contemplating moving to France permanently and transferring their daughters to Beauxbaton's for the rest of their magical educations. Ginny and Harry are expecting twins, apparently, as their fourth and fifth children, she's hoping the both of them are girls. So you'll have two nieces or nephews by January. Also, I am extremely sorry to hear our little Rosie was sorted into Hufflepuff, but at least we know she is in Victoire's capable hands. I am actually more upset to hear about Albus' future in the hands of Bellatrix Malfoy, James could hardly tell stories of her with a good tone of voice, without fear. As well as the other Malfoys in the Slytherin gang. But there's a family disgrace in every bunch isn't there? Mummy always said that they were told as children that the ones who disgrace the family would be 'pruned from the family tree'. I think that's a bit too morbid of an approach to it, for we love him none the less. I send you my love, and give Rosie, Al, Marina, James, Victoire and Teddy a big hug and a kiss from all of us here at home. Your loving husband, Ron." Hermione turned green with envy. It felt like Ginny always got what she wanted, like she was more fortunate. And perhaps she was. All Hermione ever wanted was a family, children. Yet she had two children and a teaching job. Ginny _was_ more fortunate, living with her family. And that might have been the problem.

Hermione had no family.

…

Victoire ran into the bathroom and locked the slate stall door. After a few short minutes of spewing her guts into the white toilet, she stood up and flushed, disgusted by the contents of her stomach. Yet as she exited the stall, she heard the same noises she had just made and caught a whiff of the other person's lost breakfast.

She waited to see who the unfortunate person was. As the stall door clicked open, she could taker her eyes off of the green tie. The girl smiled a brilliant smile as she made her way to the sink and washed her face. "So you must be Jo'anna." Victoire said, looking at the beautiful girl.

"And you're Victoire, from the Hufflepuff house." Johanna remarked sweetly. "So what's the matter with you?"

"I'd like to ask the same."

"Not until you answer me." The manipulative girl added, the situation being etched onto Victoire's face. "I think I know, but you need to confirm. I'm not going to gossip about you, not if it's a lie."

"It's Teddy, Albus' and James' cousin. 'e's 5 years older zan James, and—"

"I see, I see." Johanna smiled, pressing her hand to Victoire's shoulder. "So wait, you're pregnant with Albus' cousin's baby—" Victoire gave a stiff nod. "Wait, aren't you Albus' cousin, too?"

She nodded. "Love is only love." Johanna smiled as if knowing it to be the truth. Yet they both walked out, and Victoire only then asked. "Wait, you never answered my question."

"You want a truthful answer? Low self worth. It's my life. And you, at least, have to be pretty to have some worth to others. And if the fact that I have an eating disorder makes me beautiful, so be it." She walked away, her hair flipping against her back. "Destruction is a universal problem, Miss Weasley, now you can choose to go with it or you can resist." Victoire knew she wasn't resisting the torment of other worldly beings, but she wouldn't follow the first year.

And that was that.


	6. Lament

Chapter Six: Lament

The pack of Slytherin first-years made their way to Defense, a class Lucius Malfoy was forced to teach. "Hello class." He hissed, looking at the 5 children with their wands. "Today we will be practicing a basic duel. Now pair up. Bella and Scorpius, please." The Malfoys did as they were told. Rasia went to Horace, knowing he was a weak little boy, leaving Johanna and Albus as partners. "I hope you know that you are standing with the person you are dueling." Albus' smile fell. "Scorpius and Bella, over there. Rasia and rat-face in the corner. Johanna and Potter, front and center."

Johanna held her wand firmly in her hand, the rhinestone holder being the only piece in her grip. Albus' wand was far less fancy than her's, and he knew he longed to see the skill that she had, seeing as he knew that neither of her parents were wizards or witches. "Good luck, Johanna." Albus said sincerely, but only she nodded in return.

"Stupefy!" She yelled to start, which he quickly returned. She could tell he hadn't learned many good curses, so she continued with. "Expelliarmus! Sectumsepra! Crucio!" she picked up his wand, realizing only the middle curse was weak. Chuckling, she wanted to try one of them again. "Crucio! Crucio crucio crucio!" She tried them in different tones of voice. "Crucio." She hissed from behind his back. "Crucio!" She squealed. "Crucio!" She sang in her gorgeous soprano voice. It was only then that Lucius stepped in. Yet she muttered something else before he came into the duel.

Suddenly the ferret cages toppled over, releasing two oblong weasels that came darting up to Lucius and into his white trousers. He screamed like a little girl, his blonde hair in a ponytail and away from his pretty face. Hearing the torture-filled cackles and screams from her ex-husbands office, Narcissa ran to his aid. Seeing him fall on the ground, ferrets still in his pants, she looked for the one who tortured him. She looked to Scorpius and Bella, who shrugged and turned away. Rasia and Horace came into sight, but they pointed at Al. her eyes met his body down on the ground, whom she recognized as Harry Potter's son. The only person with her wand at hand was Johanna Perri.

"Drop your wand, Miss Perri!" Narcissa wailed, Johanna doing as she was told. But there was still a wand in her hand. "And Mister Potter's." She threw his wand to the ground, stepping on it with her boots. "Lucius, help me get him to Hermione, she'll know how to fix him up."

…

Hermione propped him up on the bed, Narcissa and Bella waited anxiously. In her fist was the collar of the pouting Johanna, her arms folded across her chest. "True, it was a mix of dark curses that wounded him, no doubt. But it is only a matter of whether the Cruciatus or Sectumsepra did him in." Hermione added with a disgusted and spiteful glare to the little girl, who had no signs of guilt written on her face. "What would provoke you to use such strong words as that on a weak innocent boy?"

"He showed me his weakness, and I used it against him. Isn't that the point if that class, to teach us how to defend ourselves? He showed me his weakness, his attraction to me. And I'm sorry that I used them against him." Johanna said honestly, not afraid of Hermione or anyone else.

"But what would provoke a girl of your age to torture someone like that?" Hermione interrogated, out of curiosity and not criticism.

"My life isn't easy, Mrs. Weasley. My life is pretty tortured in it's own rights. My daddy's in the American military, always has been. Our family has been moved around, but we're based in London for now. He's almost always deployed. My mother's a chain smoker who always promises to quit, but never does. She gave me a low sense of self-worth from the time I could see what she was doing to herself, numbing herself. When daddy's 'round, he's very hard on me, not matter what I do it isn't good enough to meet his standards. He thinks he's pushing me to be better, but he's pushing me to the edge of sanity." Johanna remarked, as though she had told the story so many times before. "And I have a little sister. Twit, though she is, she always gets what she wants at the expense of others. She throws fits, fits of anger and terror. If you're in her way, she'll push you down a flight of stairs… or into a plate of candles… or the knife on the kitchen counter… or the chimney…" She stopped as she ripped off her blazer to reveal the burns and cuts and bruises and places where she had been broken. "When I got my letter in May, she pushed me off a ladder. I broke three ribs and my knee, had a little mental trauma. But not as much as in band. I play piccolo, but I sat in the middle of the flute section between my two enemies. She hit me with her flute, labeled vision impaired for months. So go ahead. Have Headmaster Longbottom expel me. I know people doing worse things around here, worse than anything I could have ever done."

"Name one." Hermione said, interested in her alibi.

"Victoire Weasley, your niece, got knocked up by her cousin. How 'bout them apples?" Johanna added malevolently, watching as Hermione's face looked stunned. Bella released the girl's collar, thinking that James was the cousin she referred to, and whimpered with her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Johanna, you have not heard the last of me. Mark my words, Miss Perri, Neville will hear about this." And she stormed out the door in search for her niece.

…

"Obliviate." Hermione whispered at the painting as it clicked open. She saw her daughter and younger niece along with the three other first year girls. "Honey, shouldn't you all be in class?"

"Should, but we can't. With Al hurt, school's pretty much on lockdown. So we're staying here, playing wizard's chess. I'm creaming Marina."

"Where's V?" Hermione asked, ignoring her younger daughter's comment.

"Victoire's upstairs, in her room, I think. She's been acting funny lately, like secretively funny. Do you know why, Mummy, none of us do." Rose said, smiling, the look on her face showing eagerness and curiosity. Yet her mother darted up the stairs.

She made it halfway up to Victoire's room when she heard the sink running in the bathroom. She walked in, hoping to find her niece then and there. But nobody was near the sink. It was apparently on only to muffle the sound of vomiting from the middle stall…

Victoire walked out and made her way to the sink, not noticing her aunt in the doorway. "You're sick as a dog, sicker than Fleur ever was." Victoire turned, startled by the teacher's voice. "Here, have some saltines. I knew I had them in my bag wasn't a waste." She dug through her purse, pulling out the crackers and tossing them at the terrified girl.

"Teddy told you, didn't 'e?"

"Actually, no. But by his hair I could tell something was wrong."

"'o told you zen?"

"Are you denying it?"

"Answer my question first." Victoire stood steadfast.

"Johanna Perri, actually, after using several unnamable curses on your poor unfortunate cousin." Hermione paused, then turned serious. "Why did an evil Slytherin first year know before your loving aunt?"

"She guessed and I answered… cunning girl, she is. Very deceptive, like a destructive angel."

"Nearly killed poor Al, Ginny an' Harry are taking care of him until we figure out a) what's truly wrong with him and b) how to punish Johanna."

"Cut off 'er tongue, my suggestion. Keep 'er from using vatever curse she did, or spreading business zat isn't her's…"

"How could a Muggle-born like her know the Cruciatus or Snape's favorite? Nobody has said those in a while, even I know it."

"Tortured as a child, my guess. Raised by wolves or goblins or dragons." Victoire thought, if only for a moment. She turned back to the woman, muse-filled tears in her eyes. "Aunt 'ermione, I'm scared. Mummy and Daddy will disown me ven zey 'ear about me an' Teddy an' ze baby, an' I can't take anozer life into my 'ands, I still 'aven't lived my own. Vat vill we tell zem?"

"What will we tell them? Will we tell them?" Hermione said, copying what Victoire had told her a month back. "Do believe that's your job. I mean, unless you have something _else _to hide…"

Victoire rolled her eyes, then hugged her aunt, kissing her on the cheek. "Zanks, Aunt 'ermione, for everyzing."


	7. The Book of Snape

Chapter Seven: The Book of Snape

Johanna skimmed across the bookshelf, looking for a little light reading before bed, finding nothing for sheer entertainment. There were six or seven textbooks, a few house scrapbooks, and a couple little trinkets. Yet in the middle was a small black leather-bound book, Snape etched into the leather on the binding. She had heard the name before, true, very vaguely in Narcissa Malfoy's class through shut eyelids. She had heard of him as the "Half Blood Prince" an infamous name given to himself by himself inside a well-noted 6th-year Potions book. Snape just didn't sound like an important name. Wasn't he a Hogwarts headmaster or something? An old Potions teacher like Headmaster Longbottom, she remembered from her napping session in Dark Times History. When would that class help them anyways? The world seemed too good for them to all be bad guys.

She grabbed the tattered book, the pages yellow with age and use. Flipping to the first page, she saw "Half Blood Prince" on the bottom corner and rolled her eyes. She wondered what other dark wizards had epic pseudonyms. Voldemort, of course, she knew wasn't his real name. Tom Riddle, they were told, was his birth name and lost identity. But how many others were there in hiding?

On the second page began a long entry of what seemed like a diary. But she read it to herself, as if an action novel, with intent of finding the plot and reading on.

_I met a girl one May and her older sister, a curious girl with red hair and crystal blue eyes, pretty little thing. With looks, her sister was far less fortunate. The little girl was magical, that much I could tell, and the sister was green with envy._

_I learned the magical girl's name was Lilly, and that she would be going to Hogwarts in the fall, as would I. She had no magical blood, which my parents would have called a Mudblood. But that's not a nice term, and I did not want to make enemies before I could manage to make any friends. Lilly and I grew close, yet time would split us…_

_She was sorted into Gryffindor, I was a Slytherin. I made bad friends, boys who wanted to be Death Eaters, followers of the Dark Lord. She became friends with James Potter and Sirius Black and the creepy Remus Lupin. Her three friends tormented me and I called her what my parents would have._

_Lilly never spoke to me again. She married James Potter and had a son, who was orphaned as an infant by the Dark Lord, whom I shamefully followed. His name was Harry Potter, and that is where my tragic story ends._

Johanna flipped through the notebook, but found no more writing. Was there a spell or something placed on the pages to shield other writing? No, that would have been too apparent. So she put the tiny notebook back on the shelf and reached for another book. This was a basic paperback book, with a white cover and Death Eaters written on the front cover. She picked it up with intense intent written in her own glittery eyes. Unlike the last book, this one had a Table of Contents, written on it were words she had only heard in the voice of her house Superior on the topic of Voldemort, a name she had been taught not to say aloud. He was the Dark Lord, and those who protested herself or the other brainwashed Slytherins had a similar fate to that of Albus Potter.

"Half Blood Prince" written in the author's slot again. She knew the real name, those alive and dead did, Johanna figured. Liars, everyone was in the Dark Times. Maybe the dark times weren't over yet after all.

She saw a whole lot of scribbled in paragraphs on things called Horcruxes. An entire book of dark magic, reading she actually enjoyed. She looked at the top of page 52, where there was the word "HORCRUXES" written in bold letters followed by a list of pictures. She read "Tom Marvolo Riddle" in the middle of the page, seven tiny pictures of random objects beside it: a snake, a ring, a locket, a cup, a tiara, another book, and a person. Of course she couldn't recognize the person, but he looked vaguely familiar.

There were tons of names without pictures, but there were two other ones that did, two names she had heard on several occasions: Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, though written as Bellatrix Black. She saw what looked like an old-fashioned silver teapot by her favorite teacher's name. and then, by a name she had only heard in passing, was a corset, a corset she had _seen _on countless occasions, practically everyday…

She tucked both of Snape's books into her bag and walked away.


	8. Red Vines and Redemption

Chapter Eight: Red Vines and Redemption

Christmas rolled around a little too quick for everyone. Victoire did end up having someone tell her mother her big secret, which Hermione could only apologize for so many times. Ron and Hugo got to know each other a little better, and Ron wished for younger children. He felt so old! Ginny and Harry decided not to press charges against Johanna, after some coaxing on Al's part. But now that her case was cleared, Johanna was more focused than ever on perfecting her dark skills and mastering her new lifestyle.

It was the day everyone was leaving Hogwarts. Nobody was allowed to stay in the school, no matter what your circumstances were. And as much as Victoire would have rather stayed wallowing in her own misery, Headmaster Longbottom had to go off and ruin her already terrible life. Teddy came up behind her with two small suitcases, his hair pine green from the holiday cheer. Hermione snuck up on the two with a small duffle in her arms. "Well, you two, we had best make it to the train before everyone else does, so come along."

Hermione made her way into the train car, her long auburn hair tangled in a braid running down her back. Victoire walked up to the train car, then paused, looking down at herself then to Teddy. She was in one of his Ravenclaw tees, which up until recently would have swallowed her whole. Even though it still seemed to, it made her feel secure, like nobody noticed. But everyone did. She was "that pregnant girl" at Hogwarts. Teddy watched as she stood perfectly still. He walked up and past her, jumping into the train then offering his hand to her. "Need some help?"

"I'm pregnant, not 'andicapped, Teddy." Victoire hissed, following him into the car. They sat with her aunt and cousin. Rose smiled at Teddy and Victoire. "Good morning, Rosie. 'ow are you?"

"Pleasant." Rose said. "And you?"

"I've been better." Victoire muttered as Teddy's arm fell around her neck. As irritated as she had been all school year, he was always there for her. "Rosie, dolly, could you 'and me my bag?" Rose tossed her the little pink purse, where she pulled out a book. On the cover was the silhouette of a duck, painted on a pink leather background in gold. "Aunt 'ermione, look at vat your daughter and ze ozer girls got me."

"It's lovely." Hermione whispered. "What's it for?"

"Ze baby, of course!" Victoire exclaimed, her voice squeaking with her own delight. "Avril Amour Lupin."

Hermione looked at the proud lovebirds with surprise. "You named her already? You don't even know when you're due, or if it's a girl."

"I know it is. We boz do."

"Darling: another thing. How can you continue school with a baby? You two weren't honestly thinking of keeping it, were you?"

"Actually, Aunt 'ermione, I—"

Narcissa appeared in the frame of the car door. Rose looked at the eery woman, looking at the corset, finding it strange that such a thin woman could wear a corset like that daily. "Mrs. Weasley, Headmaster Longbottom wishes to see you right away. You and the two miss Lovegoods." Hermione walked by the old woman and smiled.

"Keep an eye on those two, will you?" Hermione pointed at Teddy and Victoire as Rose darted out of the car.

"They don't need to be watched. They're mature adults. Look at them, I mean, hell what could be the worst that could happen. They're already having a baby together." Hermione glared at the woman as she took her seat across from the couple. "Alright, god Hermione, be a little less paranoid will you?"

"Vat is it, Mrs. Malfoy?" Victoire asked.

"I would like ask about your's and James' child." Teddy's hair went scarlet, as if flames of fury flurrying on his head.

"Me an' James… wait, vat? Me an' Teddy, who told you ozerwise?"

"Bella misunderstood Johanna, I'm afraid. You two were the cousins, I suppose."

"Get to your point." Teddy growled.

"What are you two planning to do with the baby?" Narcissa asked, fingering the strings on her corset. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

"We're naming her Avril Amour Lupin. And, like Aunt Hermione, you probably think we should put her up for adoption." Teddy snarled. "Well, nobody will want our precious mishap. It'll probably be born with our family's wolf genes, and God knows what other problems it'll have. We want to keep our mistake, is that a crime?" Victoire looked at her stomach, wondering if he actually felt that everything that happened between them was a mistake. She surely didn't think so.

"No, no. I support you two completely." Victoire smiled at the teacher's words. "However, I take it by the name that she will be born in April, no?" Victoire nodded. "You still have two months of school, and you do not know how to take care of a baby at all hours of the day, do you?" Teddy shook his head vigorously. _Does he no longer love me, _Victoire asked herself. "And that's where I come in. I will watch your little darling until school lets out."

"So like a temporary adoption."

"A governess, perhaps, but I am not, in any way, taking away your bundle of joy. Not from my great nephew, no?" Teddy looked at her with confusion. "I take it you knew Andi was my sister, your grandma, though none of us will admit it. I remember. Now do we have a deal?"

…

Meanwhile, Rose slid into the only car with an open seat and door. She saw Bella Malfoy and Melody Wilson, Bella's other friend from the Slytherin house, and Scorpius Malfoy. They were all in proper seats, as she figured everyone else was. "Mind if I sit here?"

"No problem." Scorpius said, looking at the ginger, a smile appearing on his face. Bella rolled her eyes. "Name's Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy."

"I'm Rose Weasley."

"I've heard that name before—"

"My mummy's a teacher at Hogwarts, Muggle Relations." Rose said, a hint of dignity in her voice.

"My grandparents are teachers here, too. Dark Times History and Defense and Wand Use."

"That's cool. So tell me a little bit about yourself."

"Oh, well, where do I begin?" Scorpius said, running his fingers along his golden Mohawk. "I'm a racist." Rose thought of her friend Drake, who she considered her best friend. "I hate redheads…" She looked at her own obnoxiously red hair. "And Mudbloods…" She sighed, thinking of her mother. "I hate Gryffindor house…" Almost all her family had been in Gryffindor! "And my father continuously tried to kill your parents and uncle… do you consider me your friend?"

Rose looked at him with her cold eyes. But the smile on his face was a little too sincere to tell him that she hated him. She just nodded and smiled back, pushing her hair back over her shoulder.

"What do I need to know about you?"

Rose shrugged. "I'm a bookworm, not much of a talker." She ran her fingers through her hair, tried to braid it and failed. Bella and Melody looked at her with glee.

"Rose, mind if Mel and I do your hair all nice and pretty before you go home and see all your family? Mel's parents are beauticians, and she's practically a professional hairdresser. We need to practice and you have tons of that gorgeous red Weasley hair." Bella touched the little girl's hair as she plopped down in front of them.

"You're not going to cut it are you?"

"No, no, Rose. You're hair's nice and healthy, no trimming needed. Now just relax…"

…

Neville pace around his office, looking at the blonde woman in front of his desk. He vaguely remembered her as so much younger, but now as her insanely long blonde hair turned gray at the roots he realized how much older the two of them were. "This is absurd—impossible!"

"But it's true." She said.

"They can't be—"

"They are, and even you know it."

"Why couldn't you have told me before?"

"Why should I have? You married Martha and left me alone with Teddy! Like you would have cared if you stripped the father from more innocent children." She wailed. "Besides, what did you expect came from that so-called business trip you had in Sydney 12 years ago where you ran into me at the hotel, the Lumley—"

"Lumley Avenue Hotel." He muttered.

"You remembered. I can't believe you still haven't told your pretty little wife about that… the truth about Australia."

"It's true, I did run into you—"

"IN MY HOTEL ROOM! Where you had a bloody good time every single night for a week." Luna sent a glare that went straight to his soul.

"What do we do now, Luna?"

"What we've always done. I soak up the messes you make while you cower away, back to your wife or your work."

"I don't always cower—" She looked at him with her passion-filled gray eyes. "Maybe I do."

Hermione ran in, clutching Elaine's and Lumley's coats. Neville shooed her out as she let go of the coats. The girls saw their mother and ran up to her screaming "MUMMY!" at the very sight of her.

"My darlings, how lovely it is to see you!" She smiled patting her daughters' heads.

"What are you doing here?" Lumley asked.

"We were on our way home for Christmas." Elaine said.

"Well, girls, there's someone I want you to meet." She gestured her hands toward Neville.

"We KNOW Headmaster Longbottom." Elaine said.

"Why didn't you think we would?" Lumley added innocently.

"What you don't know is that Neville—Headmaster Longbottom—is your father." Luna smiled as the girls ran up to Neville, hugging him and screaming "Daddy!" at the top of their lungs. "Now come along, girls, we ought to be heading home. Grandpa should be coming soon and your father has to go back to his wife."

The girls looked up at him, then sulked back toward their mother and to the door. "Luna, why couldn't they come with me? To meet Martha?"

She turned bitter and her emotion went stone cold. "Call Martha and tell her about Lumley Avenue."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then this is my redemption." And with that, the three lovely ladies were gone.

…

Albus ran to the train, watching as the cars seemed to fill. The entire platform was empty except for a black suitcase with Johanna Perri sitting beside it. "Aren't you heading home?" He asked the girl, who had a bright green Christmas ribbon tied in her hair.

"I told my mother that we didn't get a Christmas break. I was hoping to stay here, but I have to leave. No exceptions."

"Come home with me."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I mean, you have nowhere to go… and we're a family that enjoys entertaining." He lead her to the one open train car, where they plopped down on the bench. He pulled a blue pouch out of his pocket, red licorice in the pouch. "Want a Red Vine?"

"Sure. I love Red Vines. They're the best." She bit it delicately, her ruby lips the same shade as the Red Vines.

"I know right?"

"What the hell can't they do?" Johanna asked, reaching into his pocket for another piece of twisty red deliciousness. He laughed. "I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"No need to apologize. I know you just said what you remembered or heard or read. it couldn't be a mean-spirited action."

"I know I really ticked off your parents."

"They've probably forgiven you by now."


	9. Weasley Winter

Chapter Nine: Weasley Winter

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER COME HERE THIS INSTANT!" Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs as she walked into the kitchen seeing Johanna on the couch.

He appeared at the bottom of the staircase. "Evening, Mum. You look nice. Is that a new outfit? Haircut? Oh well, doesn't matter, you look—"

"Cork it, Al." Ginny said. "Who is that?"

"That's Johanna Perr—"

"I know who _she _is." Ginny snapped at her son. "What is she doing in _my HOUSE!_"

"Staying with us for winter break."

"Why?"

"She's avoiding her mother."

"Can I ever get a _simple _answer?" Ginny asked, her eyes aimed at the ceiling. "Take her things upstairs to the nursery."

"What happened to the guest room?" He asked, taking Johanna and her suitcase up the black staircase.

"It's the new nursery." Ginny smiled a very fake smile. "_Next time ask before you invite unwanted company… _Now get up the stairs before your father gets home. Go, now get."

As they darted up the staircase, Johanna looked around. There had to have been at least 20 bedrooms in the upstairs, more downstairs and a few in the attic no doubt. All finished in the same awkwardly dark wood. There were silver plaques on the doors, which she tried to read as she passed them, to no avail.

"Where are we?" Johanna asked, not letting go of Albus' hand. Her fear was poorly hidden.

"The Black house, of course!" Albus exclaimed, as though everyone in the world should know that.

"But you aren't black."

"Not 'black' house, the family line of the Blacks' house. You know, Narcissa Black-Malfoy, Bellatrix Black, Sirius Black…"

"I see…" At the end of the hall, she read the last three plaques on the left. James, Albus, Lilly. The last door on the hallway had a small plaque, with pink letters on it instead of black like all the others. "Charlotte Angelique and Andromeda Christine?"

"My mum's expecting twins."

"Well I could _see _that." She smiled.

"No, my father said that if they were girls she could name them. He named the other three of us."

"I'd be scared to know what your name was if she had!" Johanna chuckled, and he couldn't help but to laugh too. As they turned the doorknob, they left the dark world of the hallway and entered a whole new experience.

Pink.

Everything was pink. There had to have been thousands of shades in there. The walls were pink, the cribs were pale pink with hot pink bedding. The curtains were open and pink, as was the dresser in the corner (the pink part, not open). There was a rocking chair up against the wall with pink-tinted color to the wood. There was a deep pink rug that went from door to windows. The closet doors were even pink. The only exception to the color scheme was a wall mural of a unicorn.

"So _THIS _is what the inside of a unicorn looks like." Johanna snickered, closing the door as she walked away. The exposure to all that pink was toxic. "I'm scared to know what Lilly's room looks like."

"It's yellow. With flowers everywhere."

"James?"

"Red and gold, covered in Quiddich posters. My mum used to be a pro, did you know that?"

"Now I have to see _your _room." She teased, paying no attention to the parental fun fact.

"If you insist." He lead her into the black and red room, with gray furniture and bedding. He pulled the trundle out and she sank down on it.

"Nice. I didn't expect to see this much red."

"My parents were expecting another perfect Gryffindor son like my brother."

"Is that to say that Slytherins are bad people?"

"I never said they were. My parents don't associate with them, saying that there never was a good witch or wizard in Slytherin. My mum, dad, aunt, uncle and other uncles were all Gryffindors, not a proven fact but I am positive most of them were." He grimaced. "I'm a disgrace to the family line, Johanna. You don't have a wizard family, you don't quite understand it."

"Al, James, Lilly—Grandma Weasley's here!" Ginny wailed from the bottom of the staircase, as all dropped what they were doing and darted downstairs.

…

Molly and Arthur Weasley planted themselves on the couch, watching as the children shuffled into the room. Ginny hugged her parents, then snatched Johanna from Al's arm. Harry walked in, engulfed in one of his mother-in-law's large hugs, walked over to Arthur and shook his hand. He kissed his wife's forehead, seeing the girl at her side. He mouthed _why is she here_ only to watch as his wife pointed at his brain-dead son. He thought to start ranting at the middle child then and there, but not in front of the in-laws or the dark girl, either.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and a clap of thunder. Out of nowhere Ron and Hermione flashed into the parlor, Hugo and Rose beside them. Only this time, when they saw Rose, her hair wasn't frizzy, though it was still _obnoxiously _ginger. Curled into perfect ringlets, she looked as though copper spirals replaced each individual strand. Hugo's hair had the same copper-y look to it, his amber hair short and spiked. Hermione had her hair tied back in a ponytail, as she had when she was younger. Her dress was charcoal, drape-y taffeta over her knees and shoulders, her black heels shining like the plastic slipcovers on the furniture. And Ron was, well, looking more like Ron than he did as an insurance salesman.

Molly smiled as her son and daughter-in-law hugged her. She was in good condition for her age, how old was she early 70s or late 60s, fat and happy as she was 20 long years ago. Her hair was gray, for the most part, but still had the ashy red tone to it. She had a patchwork frock on, covered in orange floral and taupe plaids and blue stripes. Arthur's hair was short and almost white red, more pink than any other hair most of them had ever seen (except Tonks, but nobody counted her.). His eyes were as green as the pine tree decorated in the corner. He had on a brown tweed suit and a white collared shirt, with the red tie that his granddaughters picked out for him, Fleur's children always had the best taste in accessories.

"Mum, the others should be here soon. I ran into George and Cho on my way out, she had to pick up her dress from dry cleaning." Hermione said.

"Christmas weddings are always so temperamental. Don't know why someone wants to get married in the snowy cold." Molly said, wondering whether the wedding was a good idea or not. "None the matter, I'm glad my Georgie has found someone to love. Since Fred died—" Her sadness cut her off. Percy and Charlie and their families walked in.

Truth be told, most of them had never met Charlie's wife. Her name was Larkin Sparrow-Weasley. Her name, of course, reminds you of colorful birds. But there was nothing colorful about her. She was abnormally pale. Her hair was short and light, almost invisible on her ivory flesh. Her eyes were pale aqua, looking like the streams that passed through the Forbidden Forest. She had on a rose-colored shift that was tight cotton and a bright white ribbon around her waist.

The two had three daughters: Constance, Evangeline, and Amaryllis. All three had light red hair and eerily pale skin and eyes, steely gray gazes on their grandparents. You could tell they weren't used to seeing that much color. They had on vanilla dresses, their father in a matching suit.

Percy's wife was far less amusing than Larkin. Her name was Rosalinda Quantis-Weasley. She was a dark-skinned girl with curly raven hair and chocolate eyes. Her dress was cinnamon, clinging to her tiny figure as though the dress was a size too small.

Rosalinda and Percy had the largest family of the Weasleys. They had 14 children, 7 sets of twins. Only two of them were girls. Each pair seemed to contain to identical people, looks and personalities, as though they were each other's clones. Adam and Arthur were the oldest at the age of 10, with strawberry hair and fairly tan skin, freckles coating their faces. Beckam and Greg were 8, mahogany buzzcuts and chocolate skin with ignorant personalities. Peter and Penn were 7, only 10 months younger than Beckam and Greg, with hair to their chins in the darkest shad of red, seeming to blend with their skin. Molly and Miranda were 6, Percy's only daughters, their brick red hair rolling down their backs in crisp waves, the palest of his children. Jonah and Jordan were 5, crimson locks growing barely past their ears. Roran and Rupert were 2, with surprisingly raven hair and darker skin than most of the others, who were far more tan than your ordinary Weasley. Then the last pair, at the age of four months, were Martin and Mark.

Bill and Fleur popped in. Fleur's dress was green, the same color and basic design of that of her five daughters. Even Teddy wore green. Victoire, Marina, Paris (9), Laurel (6), and Michelle (5) lined up behind their father, who was in a gray-green suit (Funny, all the Weasleys wore suits.).

Suddenly Cho Chang and George appeared behind them in the same things they wore the first day of school. "Sorry we're late, we had a meet-up mix-up." George said. "We do, however, have everything at the Burrows."

"What are the Burrows?" Johanna asked Ginny, as she hugged her jokey older brother. She watched as Cho's hand ran across her stomach, slapping a fake smile on her pink lops.

"The Burrows are what we call the Weasley home. It used to be in England, but it was burnt down many times in the Dark Times, so they rebuilt it in New Zealand. Rotorua's pretty nasty smelling, but it's quaint and nice. _And _warm in the winter." Ginny whispered as her brother and his fiancé wandered off.

"Why are we here if we're heading for New Zealand?"

"Because we almost all live in Muggle Europe, except my parents. Besides, the wedding is at the Burrows, and we want to spend a little of the holiday away from wedding traffic."

"Wedding? I didn't pack any nice clothes…"

"Who said _you _were going to the wedding? You have to earn your keep first."

"And how do I do that?" Johanna asked curiously.

"Chores." Ginny muttered.

…

Upon leaving the Auckland airport, there was a three hour bus ride to get to Rotorua. Johanna and George and Bill loaded all of the luggage onto the coach, and there WAS a lot of luggage. I mean, imagine the amount of luggage for 43 people it had to have been unbearably heavy for Johanna to lift.

In the coach there were 44 chairs. All in the same shade of blue, Johanna was told to sit between Roran and Rupert. Not only was that unpleasant, but right behind her seat was the working bathroom with surprisingly thin walls, so alongside the screaming two-year-olds all she could hear what the faint sound of Victoire throwing up, making her herself gag.

During the dinner stop at Pie Face, Johanna heard morbid jokes that related to Sweeney Todd, her favorite musical of all times (Sondheim was her idol for life.), and the fact that the store was Pie Face. "Who wants to go to Pie Face for a face pie?" Ron joked, as everyone else ate their minced pies. Hermione rolled her eyes at her childish husband.

At around midnight, the bus broke down in Matamata. So they slept on the bus while Johanna and Harry went to fix the exhausted engine. After hours of shocking their hands (and by 'their' you know it's mostly Johanna), Harry realized that the gas tank was just empty. He made Johanna crawl under the leaky sewage tank to get to the emergency gas can, and then told her to fill it up.

By four in the morning, everyone finally got to the Burrows, which were on the other side of a lake. She helped get the younger children off the coach and into the twisted 5-story house, then carried the luggage in piece-by-piece. Slowly but surely, her drowsiness took over. With her suitcase being the last one there, she fell asleep in the coach luggage compartment.

Molly thought to herself about the poor girl as she and her daughter fixed buttery pancakes and eggs (though the city already smelled like rotten ones) and sausage. "Why are you so _cold _toward that little girl?"

"What little girl?" Ginny asked, knowing exactly who she was talking about. But she could play stupid, couldn't she?

"The one you're using as the family slave. We don't do slaves 'round here, it's a free world. That's why we don't have house elves. What's her name, all I've heard is Miss Perri and you go 'stupid girl'. Wouldn't you find that _demeaning?_"

"Why do you care, Mum, what that stupid girl does for us?"

"Why do you want her doing this?" Molly asked, sliding the eggs onto a plate.

"She's earning her keep. Trying to earn mine and Harry's forgiveness."

"Forgiveness? What for?"

"Johanna Perri nearly murdered your grandson mindlessly while spouting off dark curses."

"You want an apology from a little girl who repeated what she heard, when I didn't get one from the wicked woman who killed your brother?"

"When you say it like that—"

"Besides, she didn't cut off any of his crucial body parts. There's no sign of serious injury. Besides, wasn't that in October?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Don't treat her like scum. By her personality, she's used to it."

…

Johanna held a tray of drinks. She wore dark jeans and a floral top with black lacey gloves and combat boots. Slowly the crystal glasses were filled with the cloudy white liquid, looking more like a chunky soup than a drink. Getting a whiff of that awkwardly addicting smell (the scents of mint, lemon meringue pie, chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla frosting and a roasted chicken) she thought to take a sip. But she figured it was inappropriate for 'the help' to drink like the others. For a Christmas party, the kitchen was surprisingly empty. The only person in there was Victoire, tracing the rim of her glass with her middle finger. She felt abandoned. "So you were shunned from the party too?" Johanna asked.

"I'm apparently a 'bad influence' on ze ozer children. But Teddy's zere." Victoire added bitterly. "An' you're 'ere 'cuz of Al."

"Sadly. He said I was welcome. Instead I'm a servant." She tossed down her tray, sloshing the drink all over the tops of the chalices and onto her hands. "What is this stuff anyways?"

"Zat's Gran'ma Weasley's famous Nosh Sauce."

"Nosh Sauce?"

"Not a sauce, really, but she says it makes ezeryone more in ze 'oliday mood. I zink it's 'er excuse to get all ze adults drunk." Victoire looked at the Nosh Sauce in her glass, pouring it down her throat. She hissed in agony as the glass was drained and removed from her lips by her own cruel hand, it was truly disgusting, and Johanna refilled it. "Vy are you trying so 'ard for Aunt Ginny's forgiveness? I vould've given up."

"I hurt her without trying to, I scarred her son for life. The least I can do is plead for forgiveness. I feel so guilty about what I did."

Molly walked in, watching her granddaughter chug her famous drink, the pretty little girl sitting across from her. "You two shouldn't be shunned to the kitchen again, tomorrow at the wedding you will be there, understand?"

Victoire nodded, but Johanna looked hesitantly at her own clothes. She was wearing her nicest outfit at this very moment. "Um, Mrs. Weasley, I don't have anything to wear. Nothing decent, anyways."

Molly waved a plump finger at the little girl, whispering _come come _I a tone that only Johanna could hear, and hoped that Ginny couldn't.

…

Molly lead Johanna up the stairs, winding and tan, ginger pictures seeming to reflect an odd glow on the entire house. Soon enough they were in a baby pink room, with a gold-framed queen-sized bed giant cedar wardrobe in the corner. "This was Ginny's and Harry's room when they came to visit me. Got all of her old clothes in here. 'fraid nobody is going to use them anymore, not her, she's all grown up.

The woman opened up the wardrobe doors revealing bunches of hanging clothes. Molly pulled up a coat hanger from the left corner, showing a simple frock in the dark room. She pulled her son's Deluminator out of her apron pocket, bringing light to the one old lamp hanging from the ceiling. The dress was made of teal terrycloth, draping a little past Johanna's knees, with tee shirt sleeves and a small pocket on the right hip. "Try that on for me will you, Johanna?" Molly said, tossing the dress at the girl.

"Mrs. Weasley, if you don't mind my asking why didn't you give some of Miss Potter's clothes to you r granddaughters? Wouldn't it have more value to them?"

"Johanna, the thing about this dress is that the style of it looks good on so few people. This dress is made to look pretty on an hourglass figure, and up until this year Victoire had the same figure as the number one." Molly let out a light chuckle at her own joke. "Don't see the sense in giving it to her now, she probably won't wear it after the baby's born anyways."

"But why don't you think I'm as terrible as everyone says I am? I've told secrets and I nearly killed your grandson, yet you still show me kindness."

Molly pressed her hands to a locket that she had tied around her neck by a piece of leather cording. In it was a picture of her twins on their 17th birthday. "You remind me a lot of my Ginny when she was younger. You're a bright girl, you've never done anything to tell me wrong. Would you prefer I compare you to a worse person?" Johanna shrugged. "There _was _a girl much like you when I was in school, a Slytherin. Her name was Bellatrix Black, the Corset Queen as she called herself."

"What happened to her?"

"She was a murderess, killed several people, then my son. I ended up getting her in the end."

"Oh." Johanna never thought of herself being like a murderer. But was that the course of every Slytherin? She didn't think so.

"Where in the world are you from? You have such an adorable accent."

"Georgia ma'am, I visit my family there every now and then, I don't enjoy staying with my momma that much."

"Who lives in Georgia?"

"My grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, I have 2 cousins down there and my momma and daddy are there right now with my sister. Celebrating Christmas. They're trying to move there." Johanna thought about her parents as she walked toward the woman with delight. She twirled about, the dress floating up and making a parachute around her.

"Lovely, dolly, now let's just fix your hair…"

…

Johanna woke up the next morning and slid into the dress Mrs. Weasley had give her the evening before. She looked in the mirror, remembering how long her hair looked yesterday, but now it was perfect spirals that now hit her chin. Why was curly hair so beautiful, she wondered, and why were weddings such formal occasions if they only ended in heartache?

She walked into the woods, only to have a black cloak placed over her shoulders by none other than her Muggle Relations teacher. "Here, we must all wear these in remembrance of the ones they lost. Their lost loves." Hermione said, tying the black ribbon around the girls neck, then lead her to a seat. Fleur ran up to Hermione in haste, warning Hermione that Cho was walking into the steamy woods. How odd it was for Christmas break to be in the middle of summer.

Cho's straight black hair was down, brushing her bare shoulders. Her wedding gown was long and thick, clearly meant for a true cold winter wedding. But she still looked impeccable, funny how brides always look more beautiful than their everyday selves.

By the middle of the wedding, the clouds grew dark. Of course everyone was expecting something to go wrong, but not the weather. In a change of events, however, it did start to rain.

What a strange winter this was, Johanna thought. A Weasley winter.


	10. Mistakes I Made

Chapter Ten: Mistakes I Made

Her eyes opened. There was clearly something on her face. Perhaps it was one of Hugo's toys, she saw him the night before, didn't she? The night was a blur. She remembered the wedding vaguely, and the afterparty and the _fun _that she and Ron had after the party…

It was a hand on her face. She looked at it, then through the fingers at her husband. Only to find that it wasn't her husband at all, not a ginger but a man with chocolate hair and a scar on his forehead…

She wiggled out of bed and went searching for her clothes. Of course, she didn't think to close the curtains first. Yet she found her clothes tossed under her bed, just a pair of pants and a blouse. Hoping her husband wouldn't notice, she slid into the bathroom to change.

She ran downstairs to find Ron and Ginny, having toast and enjoying pleasant conversations. "Where are the children?" Ginny asked, figuring that that was where Hermione had been lurking.

"Not with Harry, I can tell you that."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Nothing." Hermione added frantically. "I think they went into the woods. For a walk."

Molly whipped around. "With who?"

"Teddy I think."

Teddy turned to his aunt. "I'm right here."

"Is something wrong?" Molly asked. "You seem skittish."

"She's hiding something." Ron added very matter-of-factly. "The only question is what?" Hermione's eyes darted, looking for something to distract him. But there was nothing shiny, he wasn't the brightest tool in the shed. Yet suddenly Ginny's eyes widened and she screamed bloody murder.

_Finally, a good distraction, _Hermione thought. her sister-in-law having a baby was probably a good way to wipe her husband's mind clear. "Ron, go get Harry." Molly said, rushing to her daughter.

"I'll get him." Hermione jumped and ran up the stairs.

"Fourth door on the right." Ginny gasped.

"On the left actually." Curiosity registered on the three faces again, but she ran up the stairs without another word.

…

The trees shook as the kids wandered through the woods. Al watched as Johanna carefully dodged the thorns and the other mysterious plants. Not that New Zealand had many, of course. She picked a few flowers on the way up the kill, Victoire joining her every now and then in the making of a daisy chain.

Teddy ran through the woods, finding his love sitting on a rock between Johanna and the Potter children. Gasping for breath and leaning on a dead tree, Victoire saw the concerned look on his face. She thought to ask what was wrong, but he put words in her mouth. "It's Aunt Ginny. She's gone into labor at the Burrows, Grandma Weasley needs us at home."

They all stood up and darted back through the woods, running as what felt like a twister blew through the trees. Teddy took Victoire by the hand, as if it was a chance to go back to innocent childhood, frolicking through the woods with a daisy chain in her hair. Perhaps, though everything was coming to collapse on the star-crossed lovers, they still were children like everyone told them. They didn't feel like that was the case.

Johanna's skirt fluttered in the wind. She loved the old-fashioned cotton skirts that Al's grandmother had given her. But why couldn't she have given them to family, Johanna wondered, racing as her skirt got tangled in a thorn branch. Albus watched as she struggled to free the fabric from the big thorn bush, rushing to her aid as the storm continued to brew. Tugging the heavy material from the bush, he couldn't get it undone. His brother ran into the situation and ripped her skirt, freeing her from the bush. Just in time, too, for upon the children running a giant pine branch came hurdling his way, spiraling into his ribcage. Albus darted toward his unconscious brother. He ran one of his bloody thorn-cut hands across his brother's chest, as blood started to seep through his shirt. Johanna watched Al's actions while coming up with a plan.

"Hang on, I've seen this in a movie." Johanna said, as she tore of James' shirt and tore it into a few strips. Then she looked around for Lilly, not about to find her anywhere. "Al, where's Lilly?"

"Guess she's at the rock circle."

"Well go get her!" Johanna shouted, being very careful as she wrapped the shirt pieces around James'r wound. Albus ran through the woods again, tracing his footsteps back to where he last saw his little sister. Suddenly a mop of brown-red hair was found lying on the ground. He sat her up and saw that there were tears dripping down her face and a giant bloody gash on her arm. He saw as a dog, or what looked like a dog, as it ran back through the trees. He was miserable to see his sister in such agony.

"Lilly, give me your sash." She shook her head defiantly. "Lilly, give. Me. Your. Sash." He put his hand on the sating ribbon, yet she pushed him away. "Lilly Luna Potter, I need to wrap that cut now give me your sash." He ripped it from her dress and wrapped it around her arm. Pulling her off of her butt, he clutched her hand and pulled her through the dense forest and storm.

Teddy looked behind him for the children, but he only saw Lilly running toward him. Victoire was already in the doorway when Lilly gasped "It's James, he got hit and he's unconscious. Johanna and Al can't get him up—help him, Teddy, please!" Lilly hugged him and pulled him by the hand through the storm. Rain started to pelt them as they ran back through the woods (what were they running in circles?) and to the limp body in Johanna's fingers. She was crying as she finished tying the handmade bandage, attempting to drag him over to Teddy. Her endeavors were proven most successful in the end, Teddy just scooping him up as though he was just a Yorkie pup. As if it was nothing new, they made their way through the woods a final time of the morning at a fairly brisk pace.

…

Ginny let out a sigh of relief as she heard the wailing of the first of the twin girls. She could only imagine the little girl's pearly skin and Weasley red hair. Her husband smiled at her, then the squeeze of her strong hand made his smile slightly more artificial.

Then the door clicked open, and with a mutter of _dear Lord _Harry was off again.

James' voice was the only one she couldn't hear. He had a gorgeous voice, a soothing and splendid voice. One easily recognized. She heard Teddy over her own heavy breathing, saying things like _"He WILL wake up, won't he?" _or _"I came as soon as Lilly told me what happened." _But what had happened in the woods that wasn't being said aloud?

"Mum—what's happening?" Her mother's fingers were pressed to her lips, as if to say _none of your business._

She heard Lilly crying, a noise Ginny didn't find pleasant. Fleur ran from her sister-in-law's side, and she saw her take bandages with her. "Zat's a bloody mess zere, zat is. Come, Lilly, ve'll fix you up as good as new." She heard Fleur say as she brought Lilly into the parlor on the couch beside her mother.

"Lilly…" Ginny muttered, looking at the gash on her daughter's arm. Then, with curiosity, she snapped to what appeared to be full consciousness. "Where's Al?" Molly walked away at her daughter's words, but Hermione stayed at her side, with heaps of guilt in her heart and a strong pain in her stomach.

"Albus Severus Potter, wash that blood off your hands that way I can patch up those scratches—" Molly said, very sternly.

Ginny's mind had all of her thoughts put to disarray by a wave of pain. What happened to Albus and Lilly to cause such wounds? Where did Harry and her mother disappear to? Did Teddy help or kill an innocent man in the woods? Where was Victoire? And what on earth happened to James?

…

When Ginny woke up the next evening, she noted that she wasn't on the couch anymore, but rather in a surprisingly uncomfortable cloth-covered chair. On one side of her was her mother, asleep with a baby in her arms. Ginny's baby. On the other side of her was her brother Ron cradling her other baby. Her lovely twins. Precious two little girls.

It was clear she was in a hospital. But why? For who? She started to rule out people. It wasn't Ron, or her mum, or any of her brothers. She would have noticed that. It couldn't have been Fleur or Hermione or Rosalinda or even Larkin, she wouldn't have seen her brothers gathered around. Nor any of the children. Where were the children anyways?

Harry. It had to be Harry. But why wasn't she there with him? She was weak, that's what she had been told, perhaps it was true. But she was headstrong, and refused to take whatever the answer was.

She suddenly saw Harry walk out of the hospital room, holding Lilly's hand, Johanna and Al behind him. She detested the girl, she figured she always would. Johanna walked up to her, a smile so artificial it seemed to surround all of her. "Mrs. Potter, I am so sorry. I've disgraced you again, I was just trying to earn your forgiveness—I did all I could—"

"James will be fine, Ginny. Just different." Harry said, watching as the curiosity grew on her face.

"Wha—what happened to James?"

"In yesterday's wind storm, we were running through the woods to get back home to you. But Johanna's skirt got stuck in a thorn bush, and V and Teddy ran ahead of us, and I tried to rip it free so we could keep going. But James cut her skirt and he got hit with a HUGE pine branch and knocked out. Then Johanna stripped off his shirt and bandaged his bloody ribcage using it while I went to find Lilly, who was attacked by a dog!" Ginny did not look amused by her son's story.

"Lilly and Al are alright, however I cannot fully say the same for James. He shattered his ribs, permanently paralyzed from the waist down, minor amnesia." Tears welled in Ginny's eyes as he spoke.

"Get out." Ginny said, pointing at the door while sinking her cold eyes into Johanna's already damaged soul. "Get out and _never _come back."

"But mummy, she saved James'—"

"Not now, Al. this girl takes and takes and never gives us anything back except _pain _and _sorrow. _You've nearly killed both my sons and God only knows what you'll do to my daughters. Miss Perri, you are a filthy Slytherin Mudblood, and that's all you're ever going to be and even you know it."

"Ginny, she did try to help…" Molly said, rushing to Johanna.

"I don't care what she so-called 'tried' to do, she's nothing but a brat like all the other Slytherins, and for all I care she could die tomorrow.


	11. The Corset Queen Decides

Chapter Eleven: The Corset Queen Decides

Days slowly passed. As they did, more secrets unfolded in letters.

Narcissa heard what the corset was saying growing stronger. If it weren't for her blasted sister's Horcrux, her life would still be perfect. Lucius asked her about the corset and she lied to his face, an obvious lie. Draco was told an elaborate lie in order to make him detest his father, making Scorpius unable to speak with his grandfather without spite and cruelty. She had broken her daughter in half, she probably hurt her the most, splitting the soul and making her choose between parents. And now, the ghost of her older sister was telling her to kill the only person that trusted her.

Things weren't going well for Hermione either. Her life was crumbling in her hands. Since the wedding, she knew that betraying Ron would have it's repercussions. However, it wasn't until she wrote a letter to her husband explaining that she was expecting their third child that she even remembered what happened between her and her best friend's husband. Could she ever be forgiven? Probably not, but sometimes you have to break the rules to get what you want.

Slowly but surely, Victoire felt the pressure of the public growing. As the month of April approached, her aunt kept pestering her to put the baby up for adoption. Her family was moving to France, officially, but they weren't taking Teddy this time. Teddy suggested that the two elope, but she refused to be a teen runaway bride, even if they had their daughter to worry about. Then Teddy truly supported someone adopting their love child. Was it fair? By no means. But she wouldn't tell Teddy yes, and she couldn't tell him no. There was nowhere for her to run.

Johanna after ruining a perfectly good Weasley winter, went into being reclusive. She tried not to talk to Al if she could avoid it, and every time she saw James in a wheelchair she burst into tears. Hate ran trough her veins instead of blood, and she couldn't resist the impulse anymore. She fingered the handle of her small dagger as she drew horizontal lines on her right arm with her own blood. With every Weasley secret she figured out: Hermione's baby, Victoire's family moving and a few others, a new cut appeared under her gloves. But she promised to never use the other weapon in her bag. Ever.

Victoire had her baby on April 1st, barely Avril Amour Lupin. They just knew it had to be an April baby, no other would have worked for them. She turned down a second marriage proposal from Teddy, calling herself too young to be a mother and a bride. "I'll wait for you." Teddy vowed. "I'll wait for you to say yes, I'll wait till the end of time. You'll come back one day, you and Avril, and everything will be as it should be." So handing over her baby to Narcissa Malfoy and saying she would never come back for her, which felt like the right thing, was probably not as easy as she thought it would be.

"Well, Bella, I know how to bring you back." Narcissa said, cuddling the little redheaded baby. She threw the corset onto the bed, bringing her sister out of it.

"Where?" Bellatrix looked around for the child. "Where's my little niece?"

"I'm not killing my daughter for you."

"Well, why not?" Bellatrix whined.

"Would you have killed Rodolphus for me?"

"No but I would've for the Dark Lord…" She remembered what her love interest looked like when he was younger, when he had a nose. "Would you sacrifice her for the Dark Lord?"

"No! He got my son, but not my baby girl!" She put the baby on the bed. "Meet your new self."

"A baby?" Her sister nodded at her. "A redhead Weasley baby? I can't! Can't I be a pureblood? I'd even rather be a mudblood than a Weasley—why her anyways?"

"She's the daughter of Victoire Weasley, Fleur Delacour's and Bill Weasley's daughter."

"So she's smart, skilled, French, and beautiful. Now what about the boy?"

"Teddy Lupin: Nymphadora Tonks' and Remus Lupin's son. Werewolf, both Victoire and Teddy are."

"So she's also strong, dangerous and _related to us._" Bellatrix smiled, and looked at the flask on her dresser. "Do it, Cissy, for my _life._"

Narcissa forced the baby's jaw open and poured a drop of the Liquid Death down her throat. The heartbeat suddenly stopped, and she grabbed the corset just as her sister had told her in September. The ghost randomly disappeared, and the corset was placed back on Narcissa's gray dress. Then the baby's violet eyes opened.

…

The students all walked past Johanna whispering their own ignorant thoughts back and forth. They sort of walked in clusters, still in their own houses. It was unfair that this was the case, she couldn't apologize to James if their houses couldn't say nice words back and forth.

Narcissa carried the baby down the hall when she heard gunfire. She saw Johanna standing on a table in the Dark Times History room, her gun aimed at the ceiling. "Now that's how you get some attention down in the south." She heard Johanna say as the frightened students let the teacher into the crowd. Johanna had on a pair of shredded jean shorts and a pair of cowboy boots, her collared shirt's sleeves rolled up and her Slytherin tie tied loosely around her neck.

"Okay, now, you're probably wondering why I did that, or who I am." Johanna said, kicking a book off the table with the toe of her boot. "How about we go with that I'm a ninja, shall we? In case you can't tell, I _am _a Slytherin. And, sure, it's real mature for y'all to whisper as if I can't hear you talk about me. Well I can.

"So I was lying in bed awake in bed last night, which I'm sure none of you are real interested in, but I'm going to tell you anyways. I was thinking, why couldn't I hang out with some of the Gryffindor girls? Hufflepuff? Some of the cute Ravenclaw boys? But instead, here I am again sitting it the Slytherin dungeon with the same idiots I have since September. But why? Why couldn't I eat dinner with a few badgers or ravens, or even our favorite gold-and-red housemates? The only thing standing in our way are these bloody ties.

"Why do we let ourselves be placed into cliques based on our so-called personalities that we have barely developed yet? We're all different, we're almost all from different places. Not all of you are from London; I'm from Georgia in the great U.S. of A, and some of you are French or Aussies or Kiwis or Brits or Spanish. I bet there are even a few Irish, Scots, or even a few Cockneys in here am I right?" Bellatrix Malfoy looked at her handicapped crush as Johanna continued. "To hell with the past rituals of houses and ties and on with a new mixed lifestyle! Stop being damned into your own branch of magical prejudice, and learn to live the unexamined life of the truthful reality we've been hidden from for so long!" The students cheered as a riot started. Johanna took her tie and did a Mexican hat dance on it. Bellatrix Malfoy walked up to James, plopped on his lap and pressed her lips all over his face, and he liked it.

She's so irresponsible, so disrespectful—" Narcissa muttered to her sister.

"Who is _that?_" She babbled, sounding more like an old woman than the two month old she was.

"Johanna Perri, disrespectful abomination."

"She has spunk. And a lot of it. Like I did. A real activist, but sadly by the sounds of it, a good Slytherin. True southern belle if you ask me."

"What do you mean?"

"We need her on our side, Cissy. Not theirs."

End of Corset Queen


	12. Author's Note: End of Corset Queen

This is an author's note.

Lame summary isn't it? For the chapter I mean. I don't really know you're opinions, I got absolutely no reviews, but I do value your input. I'm working on it's lovely sequel, the second year of the Potter-Perri relationship, which is going to fester and putrefy before it heals. Will it heal? Maybe, but not without feedback!

Johanna and Bella are both figments, as are most of my other random names. You will see a lot more muggles, but less in Slytherin I guarantee. Well, I guess I should call them by their official term: Mudbloods. But there will be Muggles too! I've got Johanna's whole family tree plotted!

Next one takes place in Georgia, for the most part, over the summer. You meet Razzie and Kiara, Johanna's sisters, and the rest of her kooky crazy family. And baby Bellatrix, the Weasley! You know that might highlight your life.

Also, expect a real Ancient Roman as a Latin teacher at Hogwarts! Magic can do anything.

Any of my character ships you like or hate? This was a trial, a long trial, to see what people actually wanted to read, and that's clearly not my story. Oh well. The next two in the series are Magical Belles and Slytherin Ninja, but they will be posted here. Count on it.

Review please! Review like the wind!


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